Wednesday 4 September 2013

the best green seasoning [pesto marinade]


Looking to add that extra kick to your meals?  Want to give your meat a fresh juicy flavour? Or just wanting to try something new?  You have got to try this green seasoning.  You can use it to flavour virtually anything: chicken, ribs, roast, sauces, salsas, etc. 

I love using it as a marinade to meat. It's great on chicken (preferably under the skin, if applicable)  and great on ribs as well.  I used to only use dry rubs or straight BBQ sauce, which are great too, but I love the fresh taste of all the herbs and the added moisture.  I'll still add the sauce but I make sure that the green seasoning has some time on the meat first. 

This recipe calls for pimento peppers, which you can find at a Caribbean  store.  If you can't find pimento peppers you can substitute with banana peppers, or your favourite pepper.  You can adjust to your spice tolerance but I find that the 'hotness' is mellowed out during cooking. 


GREEN SEASONING

what you need
1 bundle of Cilantro (about 1-2 cups)
1 stalk of celery (include leaves if you have it)
1 head of garlic (about 11 cloves)
4 green onions (scallions)
1 bunch of fresh thyme (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup of water
pinch of salt (optional)
1 onion, or 2-3 shallots (optional)
2 pimento peppers (or 1 banana pepper)

*note: all measurements are rough estimates I may add more/less depending on how I like the taste


make it
Put everything in a food processor/blender and blend well.  You may need to mix in batches depending on the size of your appliance.  I found that a 3-cup food processor does fine, so does a nutribullet cup. 

You'll want to form a nice bright green, slightly runny (but still thick) paste.  The colour may darken over time but that's normal. 


storing+freezing
You can keep the mixture in an air-tight container in the fridge for a couple months. 

If you'd like to keep it longer I recommend freezing.  Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.  Once fully frozen you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag.  I prefer freezing in an ice cube tray because its easier to control your portion sizes.  

This recipe was adapted from: caribbeanpot.com's green seasoning

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