Artichoke, Lemon, Basil & Cashew Pesto Crostinis

Have I mentioned how much Debbie and I like using cashews in recipes lately?  We can’t seem to get enough! In this recipe we use cashews in place of the pinenuts usually used in pesto and the creamy texture they give this pesto is so good.  They have such a mild flavor that they really let the rest of the ingredients shine through.  Cuz you really want to taste those tangy marinated artichokes, bright lemon flavor, fresh basil, and bite from the garlic.

This pesto wasn’t originally meant to be a spread on a crustini.  It was meant to be more of a sauce for pasta or vegetables or something of the sort.  But once it was made, Debbie pointed out that we should have it with bread.  We went out straight away, got a loaf, sliced it up and toasted it up in the oven with some garlicy spices and olive oil all over them and then, when they were nice and crispy, loaded them up with this pesto.  It was a million times better than what we had originally planned.  I’m sure.

I think you probably could toss it up with some pasta and chicken, and likely we will try it sooner or later, but it will be hard to get that far since we already know how it tastes on little toasts.

Be warned.  This stuff packs a garlicy punch!  You won’t have to worry about Vampires!  There’s enough garlic in here to take down a nest full of them.  Unless of course you watch Supernatural and you know that garlic doesn’t actually work on Vampires.   You have to chop their heads off…   I am obsessed with that show.  I’ve just finished watching the first 9 seasons on Netflix.  My daughter, Jessica, convinced me to start watching it with her and now I’m hooked and can’t wait to find out what happens in the age old battle between good and evil, heaven and hell and all the things that go bump in the night.  The two main characters Sam and Dean aren’t too hard to look at either.  Just saying…

I got off topic!

If you like garlic like we do, you should make the recipe as is, but if you don’t like so much or if you’re not sure, just start with a little and see.  You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

How was your Fathers Day weekend?  We spent the weekend in Tulameen BC, quading (ATV’ing) and bullshitting around the campfire with family and friends.

We always take our dogs with us in the side-by-side when we head out for a ride and it gets soooooo dusty so this time Debbie and I found some doggles for them and they worked like a charm! We weren’t sure if they were going to wear them or if they would keep trying to get them off, but they wore them well.  Likely they were happy to have them and they looked so freeking cute in them lol.  Check them out!  I will post some more pictures from our trip on Wed…

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Artichoke Lemon & Cashew Pesto Crostinis

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Cooks with Cocktails

Ingredients

• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 84 g (big) bag of basil (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup oil from artichoke jar
• 2 lemons , juiced
• 1/2 cup parmesan , cut into chunksFOR THE CROSTINIS
• 1 skinny loaf of bread , cut into 3/4 inch thick slices on the bias
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp garlic plus (or other garlic seasoning for garlic bread)
• sprinkle of parmesan cheese on each crostini
• drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

1. First make your crostinis. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice your loaf of bread up, mix the garlic seasoning with the oil, and brush a little on both sides of the bread. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven till they brown a little. About 5 - 8 mins. Flip them over and cook till they are browned on the other side as well. About 3 - 5 mins. Set aside.
2. Put all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and whiz it up. Season to taste with salt.
3. Spread about a tablespoon of pesto on each crostini and sprinkle each with a little parmesan cheese.
4. Drizzle all the crostinis with a little olive oil and serve!