Pesto sauce (safe for babies and children)

This pesto sauce is so nutritious, but so delicious that children will love it. Ok, most children! You can use it on pasta, on crackers, in sandwiches, in tortillas, I even put some as a side to my bacon one breakfast. Delish!

What makes this particular pesto so nutritious? Well. Macadamia is very high in saturated fats. These are fats that our bodies need to produce hormones, and for general cellular energy. They are particularly high in Omega-9 fats, which is quite rare to find in foods. (For my fellow chiropractor readers, and any other neurological nerds- omega-9 is imperative for cerebellar function, and supports your baby's cerebellar development!). Basil is high in Vitamins A, C and K, as well as manganese, iron, magnesium, and calcium. It also contains anti-oxidants, and immune boosting properties.

This pesto sauce is safe to give your baby anywhere after 7-8 months of age. There is no real reason to delay introduction of nuts to your baby, however if you are concerned with allergy please take introduction slowly.

Ingredients:

1 cup macadamias
2 cups fresh basil (stems removed)
2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Himalayan sea salt

(NB: Garlic is optional as many babies will have difficulty with it early on. If your baby has already had some irritability due to garlic, hold off on introducing it until they are 10 months or older).

Method:

Soak your macadamia nuts for 8-12 hours overnight in water to activate them (and reduce phytins)
Optional: Toast your macadamia nuts in a frying pan or in the oven on the grill setting - this will take longer than usual as the nuts have been soaking
Place nuts, basil, garlic, lemon, oil and salt into a blender or thermomix, and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy
Add extra oil if too thick, extra nuts if not creamy enough, and extra basil if too nutty