Improv Night: Edamame Spinach Pesto!

So tonight was one of those nights where I felt like making something, came home and found out that I was missing a few key ingredients...kind of a bummer. But luckily there's usually a fridge (and freezer) full of veggies to play with, so options are always available. We had a whole bunch of red cabbage, and parsnips from the farm share this week so I decided to use those up in a soup. And unfortunately it seems like my basil plant is on its way out, so I thought I'd whip up some kale-basil pesto as well. But alas, no kale this week! I then looked in the freezer and found frozen spinach and frozen edamame, and thought that'd all be good together..why not? Spinach, edamame, and basil pesto. Cool, and surprisingly absolutely delicious (with an extra protein kick). See the next post for soup recipe.

Spinach, Edamame and Basil Pesto
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup frozen & thawed or 1 cup fresh spinach (definitely use fresh if you got it, frozen in a pinch)
1/2 cup frozen & thawed or fresh edamame (shelled, of course)
2 Cloves of garlic
2 table spoons nutritional yeast
1/4 sunflower seeds
                                                          olive oil
                                                          salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Put basil, edamame, spinach, sunflower seeds, garlic and nutritional yeast in a blender. Pulse until roughly chopped
2. Drizzle in olive oil slowly while blending until the pesto is a smooth consistency.
3. Salt and pepper to taste

Health Benefits!!
Edamame- high protein, high fiber, high in antioxidants. 1 Cup of this stuff has a whopping 6% of your daily nutritive intake! High in iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamin, folate and vitamin K. Contain soy isoflavens which help regualte estrogen and can lower risk of certain cancers.
Spinach- High in vitamin A (for eyesight), high in potassium, high in vitamin K (for bone health) and great source of iron

Basil-  having a highly disinfecting property, basil can help reduce the symptom of fever, can give digestion relief due to certain components in the essential oil, boosts the immune system, and much more
Garlic- Contains allicin, an incredibly medicinal component, especially in raw garlic (like in this recipe!) Allicin can help prevent high blood pressure, aid in digestion, aid in inflammation reduction, help prevent and cure cold, and much much more!
Sunflower seeds- Sunflower seeds improve digestion, brain power and cardiovascular system; it is rich in magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc and iron.
Nutritional Yeast- one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin B-12, rich in folic acid, amino acids, also rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and many more. It is considered a nutritional power house, especially for vegetarians.

Sources

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-spinach.html

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-garlic.html
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-sunflower.html

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-edamame-1665.html