I love being able to use local produce, and I love it even more when it's something the whole family (i.e. the kids) will eat. And even better when that local produce is highly nutritious. I have enjoyed discovering malunggay and it's amazing nutritional properties. Some examples: it has 2 times the protein than yoghurt, 4 times more vitamin A than carrots, 7 times more vitamin C than oranges, 3 times more iron than spinach, double the calcium than in milk, and 3 times more potassium than bananas. I love that is is available so abundantly and so inexpensively in the Philippines. We even have a malunggay tree in our yard. I found this book at National Bookstore that encourages people to make use of the benefits of malunggay by incorporating it into more of our meals. Apart from in Tinola and Munggo stew, I've also thrown it into smoothies and pureed it into pancakes, with varying success as to the palates of my kids depending on their mood that day! But one way that they enjoy it for sure, is in pesto sauce! So, here we go, posting the recipe.
Makes about 2 cups
2 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh malunggay leaves
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup cashew nuts, unsalted and toasted
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree until it turns to a paste. Season with salt and pepper.
From a tree in our yard, to the blender, to the pasta.
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