Best Asian Pesto Recipes

ASIAN PESTO WITH GRILLED SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a food processor: puree peanuts, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, salt and sugar until smooth. Do not overmix as you can heat the mixture. Add the herbs and puree smooth. Check for seasoning. Oil shrimp on both sides and season. Grill on both sides for about 5 minutes total.
• Place a layer of romaine on a plate. Lay 3 grilled shrimp on top and liberally drizzle with pesto.

THAI SPICES SHRIMP SALAD WITH ASIAN GREENS AND PESTO DRESSING

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Blend basil, nuts and vinegar in processor until nuts are finely ground. With machine running, gradually add oil and blend well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Make shrimp:
• Whisk coconut milk and curry paste in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until blended; bring to simmer. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Refrigerate shrimp in curry liquid, uncovered, until very cold, about 2 hours.
• Place rice sticks in medium bowl. Cover with very hot water. Let stand until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain rice sticks. (If using pasta, cook in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well; rinse pasta with cold water and drain again.) Using knife or poultry shears, cut rice sticks or pasta into shorter (about 6-inch) lengths. Place noodles in medium bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat.
• Combine cabbage, bok choy, green onions and chopped cilantro in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide greens among plates. Top with noodles. Drain shrimp; place atop noodles, dividing equally. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Pass any remaining dressing separately.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ASIAN GINGER-SCALLION PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix duck fat, scallions, ginger, and salt together in a bowl.
• Place chicken in a baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon ginger pesto under the skin of each chicken breast; massage to spread evenly. Coat chicken with remaining pesto and season with additional salt.
• Roast in the preheated oven until chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

ASIAN CILANTRO-PEANUT PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except peanut oil and process slowly pouring the peanut oil into the mix. Process until the ingredients turn into a smooth paste.

GNOCCHI WITH ASIAN HAZELNUT PESTO AND WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT LEFTOVERS: PESTO SOUP WITH MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Fill a saucepan with enough salted water to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered until they are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes from the pot and pass them through a ricer, onto a clean cutting board. Prepare a large stockpot with about 6 quarts of salted water and bring to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water and keep in close proximity to the stockpot.
• Form a well in the middle of the potatoes and scatter with the flour. Add the egg to the middle of the well and mix with a fork. As you are mixing, add the cheese, chives, basil, cilantro, salt and pepper. Work the mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency. Knead the dough until it is dry enough so that it does not stick to the cutting board. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
• Place the dough into a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip and press out bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces on a tray lined with parchment paper, making sure that they do not stick together. Return to the stockpot and in small batches, drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. When the gnocchi float to the top, transfer them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove the gnocchi from the ice water and place them into a clean pan. Drizzle with the olive oil to prevent the gnocchi from drying out.
• When ready, heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil shimmers, add about 20 of the gnocchi and quickly sear, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the gnocchi using a spatula and allow them to drain on a paper towel.
• Plating: Portion out the gnocchi and place them in the center of the plate. Place the mushroom ragout on top of the gnocchi and sprinkle with the tomatoes and the lemon zest. Drizzle the Asian pesto around the outside of the plate.
• Heat a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and shallots and saute, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Add all the mushrooms and saute until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the wine, stir, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, demi-glace, dark soy sauce, and thyme, and simmer until reduced by half, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and correct the seasonings. Set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the hazelnuts, garlic, cilantro, mint, Thai basil, olive oil lemon juice, salt and pepper. Puree for about 2 minutes or until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• In a saucepan, heat the stock and whisk in the pesto. Check for seasoning. Meanwhile, lay out 12 wonton skins and place a small mound of the ragout in the center. Top with basil or cilantro leaf. Egg wash the perimeter of each wonton and top with second skin. Press down hard on all sides to seal. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, blanch the raviolis for only 3 to 4 minutes until the skins become translucent.
• Plating: In 4 large soup plates, place a small mound of spinach with the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Place 3 raviolis on top and ladle in the hot broth. Serve with crusty bread.

ASIAN BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

ASIAN PESTO WITH GRILLED SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a food processor puree peanuts, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, salt and sugar until smooth. Do not overmix as you can heat the mixture. Add the herbs and puree smooth. Check for seasoning. Oil shrimp on both sides and season. Grill on both sides for about 5 minutes total. Place a small amount of pesto in Chinese soup spoon. Top with shrimp. Garnish with a little sprig of cilantro.(Cut sprig with sissors so it has a little stem.)

ASIAN PESTO

Steps:

• Makes about 3 1⁄2 cups Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeded 8 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon sugar 1 heaping tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger 1 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts or roasted salted peanuts Zest of 2 lemons 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, sugar, ginger, nuts, zest, and 1 cup of the oil and blend until smooth. Add the basil, mint, and cilantro and blend while slowly adding the remaining oil until a thick purée is formed. Season with salt and pepper. Store in a tightly covered jar and refrigerate

ASIAN PESTO

Steps:

• In food processor, with motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cilantro, mint, and basil and pulse until coarsely chopped.
• Add macadamia nuts, water chestnuts, lime juice, ginger, chile and sesame oil and pulse to combine. Scrape down sides.
• Slowly add the sunflower oil through the feed tube and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

VEGETARIAN SATAYS WITH ASIAN PESTO

Steps:

• Prepare a hot grill. Skewer the slices individually. The shiitakes should have a scallion on each side. Lightly oil and season the satays and on a hot grill, mark and criss-cross both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes total. In a food processor, add 2 cups peanuts, shallots, garlic, chiles, kaffir, and lemon grass and puree smooth. Add sugar, lime juice and season. Drizzle in remaining oil then add the herbs. Check for seasoning.
• Lay a bed of peanuts on a large plate. Serve the pesto in a bowl and surround with satays. Garnish with extra kaffir leaves or lemongrass.

SEAFOOD IN ASIAN PESTO

Steps:

• Mix wine and seafood. Let stand in cool place for about 15 min. Lay seafood in a single layer in a heatproof tray. Steam over boiling water until cooked, about 7 min. Drain. Set aside to cool. In a skillet, brown 1/4 c. shallots and 3 T. garlic until crisp. Pour into a small bowl. Add sesame oil. Set aside. In a food processor (or even a blender), pulse all of the rest of the ingredients until pesto is smooth. Add more extra virgin olive oil, if necessary. Combine pesto and cooled seafood. Let stand in a cool place for approximately 1 hour for the flavors to meld. Serve topped with the shallot-garlic-butter-sesame oil mixture. May be sandwiched in individual tortillas or ciabatta or a baguette or served as a pasta or rice salad (see ingredients above) or as a garden salad.

ASIAN PESTO

Steps:

• Process first 5 ingredients in food processor until finely chopped, using pulsing action.
• Mix remaining ingredients in liquid measuring cup. With processor running, slowly add oil mixture to ingredients in food processor, processing until smooth and well blended.