Quick and Easy Cheese-Free Pesto With Just 5 Simple Ingredients

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to cook healthy food at home and I very rarely eat out. What I love most about cooking at home is knowing exactly what ingredients are in my food so I know that its not full of garbage and chemicals.

So today I'm doing something a little different, something many of you have asked for, and sharing some of my"recipes" on the blog. I say "recipes" because Im kind of an organic cook who just rolls with whatever ingredients I have around. usually I never make the same dish exactly the same way twice. Today's is one that I always keep the same though.

Today's Recipe is only 5 ingredients and it's one of the staples in my fridge at all times! I make this cheeseless pesto in bulk since I don't eat dairy and it goes great on steak, salads or whatever else I please as the week rolls on. It keeps for weeks when refrigerated which is a major bonus!

What you'll need

2 bunches of of fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I use this one and swear by it. I order it by the case!)

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

a few pinches of sea salt

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor and chop for about 20 seconds.

Scoop out and enjoy!

Simple, right?

The balsamic adds a bit of sweetness that most pestos don't have. If you prefer a more herby taste, maybe leave out the balsamic.

Tell me what you guys think? Want to know more of my recipes? Let me know. 

IPO Dinner Recap

Normally I don't mix food into my fashion blog, but I just had to on this one. I was skimming through the invite to A dinner at the W's Hotels IPO restaurant and was instantly drawn in by the description of new chef, Fernando Coppola's cooking style. When I hear things like simple, unadulterated flavors, love of seafood, organic produce and in-season ingredients, that's speaking my language. The fact that is just down the street from where I live and really close to my husbands work makes it a prime spot for a weeknight date!

It was an absolute treat to indulge in the 6 course meal that started off with cocktails so shmancy there was smoking of mint leaves involved! I'm not much of a drinker, but even I had to try these artistic cocktails prepared by our talented mixoligist.

This pre-dinner bites were insanely delicious. I could have had just these shrimp alone for dinner and been a happy camper!

 This farro risotto (above) and Maine lobster ravioli (below) were my favorites! Did you know that some of the fresh herbs used in these dishes are grown on-site in the chef's own urban oasis garden at the W? How cool is that!?

Had such a great time enjoying a nice relaxing dinner and great conversation with fellow bloggers, something we don't usually get the chance to do with our busy and conflicting schedules.

This desert had us all wondering when the menu simply said "Patagonia". When it arrived we were curious to try what a candied mushroom tasted like. Turns out it's pretty amazing, especially with a decadent chocolate crumble below.

Photos by Blair of The Fox and She

Special Thanks to Chef Coppola and everyone at IPO  as well as Windy City Blogger Collective  (read their recap here) for making this event happen. Such a lovely evening and thanks for having me. I can't wait to go back for round two!