Green Seed-Stuffed Pesto (Gluten Free, Vegan, Nut Free)

Everybody knows I'm all about the avocado. Healthy fats, come at me! (Especially near the booty area, por favor?) Sometimes, though, a girl craves some variety in her sauces and spreads. That's where my green, seed-stuffed pesto rolled in!

Pre-diagnosis, I'd never tasted an avocado, so pesto was definitely out of my taste buds' league. Until I got a NutriBullet, a stomach hatin' on tomato sauce and a whole lot of desperation. 

All of which combined to form a pesto that's creamy. Tangy. Packed with vegan nut-free protein that makes it friendly to most allergies. Plus pretty enough for a picture (which my Instagram can certainly prove) or a killer Saint Patrick's Day party platter. 

A feast fit for a Leprechaun!

To get your own taste buds to go green, start by gathering a handful of ingredients (first inspired by Blissful Basil's superseed pesto):

High speed blender, NutriBullet or food processor 

2 Handfuls of leafy greens (Spinach is my usual dance partner, but I've also used kale and devoured the dip just as quick!) 

6 TBSP Pumpkin and sunflower seeds 

3 TBSP Hemp seeds (or 3 more TBSP of mixed seeds or nuts, if tolerated)  

1-2 TBSP of olive oil (start with less, than add more as necessary for blending) 

1/2-1 TBSP fresh lemon juice (depending how strong you want the lemon flavor to be) 

Optional: Shake of extra spices, like thyme and oregano 

Optional: Part of an avocado for an even creamier texture (so maybe my avocado addiction is showing)

Begin by layering some greens, then some seeds, some liquid and spices, repeating until all ingredients are placed in the blender. Feel welcome to experiment with the order of placement or just tossing everything in - I've just found that my NutriBullet behaves the best when I mix leafy, solid and liquid ingredients in layers. 

As easy as one, two, three!

Then, all you have to do is click or twist start and watch as your pesto appears! Be patient if you're using a lower power machine. I usually have to do the NutriBullet dance - a mix between begging the blender gods and alternately shaking my blending cup and re-blending) until everything combines smoothly. This pesto is designed to be thick, but to make blending easier or obtain a more "drippy" result, throw in some extra oil, lemon juice or water! 

Once you've conquered your kitchen tools, you can enjoy the real party - tasting! I've found tons - is there ever too many? - of uses for pesto. In fact, I now have a jar sitting in my fridge at all times (it usually stays good for a week or so, though some of the separating oil may require a bit of manual remixing now and then). 

Pesto always lands on my favorite vegan buckwheat crust for pizza, and also coats my turkey burgers and flavors my pan-fried fish and zoodle stir fry. I've also layered it between salmon and sweet potato for my famous sliders, and eaten it as a True Foods Kitchen inspired dip for raw veggie snacking. 

Fact is, whether it's fresh avocado from my backyard or homemade seedy pesto, this celiac is always looking for a way to shake up the typical leftovers and salad munching. And making it as allergy-friendly as possible while I'm at it? That's just the pesto on my pizza. 

*Also found in RunningwithSpoon's link party!*

What's your favorite sauce for pizza? Are you an avocado or pesto/condiment kind of water? Comment below!