cheap eats [avocado basil dip]

Remember all the pesto recipes I shared earlier? Well, I gave one a try, and it was so delicious I wanted to share it here. Plus I already have edited photos thanks to instagram, so this is as easy as it gets for me :)

It's hard to call this pesto, when it doesn't include parmesan, mozzarella, or olive oil. When is pesto not a pesto? Reminds me of the ongoing debate about cauliflower pizza crust. If you change almost everything about it, maybe you should embrace a new name. Hence, avocado basil dip.

The ingredient list is truly simple: 1 avocado, the juice of half a lemon (2T), 2t garlic, and 2C of packed basil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Unless you are tripling the recipe, don't try to use a Vitamix like I did- there just isn't enough volume to make sense. Instead, use a small food processor. Start with just the avocado and basil, then add the lemon juice, crushed garlic, and any spices. I added in a bit of arugula as well, since I have a lot on hand, just to make the pesto go further. So far I've eaten it as a dip with veggie sticks, stirred over baked green beans, and thinned out with a bit of olive oil as a salad dressing. I think it would be AMAZING on a sandwich...any sandwich.

The one drawback to this type of pesto is the shelf life. I didn't think of it before I whipped up a batch, but we all know how quickly avocado-based dips turn brown and yucky (I'm looking at you, guacamole). You can either commit to eating the whole bowl in one sitting, or you can try this trick: slowly pour a 1/4 inch of water on top. It'll stay separate from the dip, seal out air, and will pour off easily when you need it next. I've done this twice in the last two days with this same batch with no downside.