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Pumpkin Seed and Spinach Pesto

January 11, 2014 by Mariel Goodson 9 Comments

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Pumpkin Seed & Spinach Pesto_optMariel here. Recently I took my toddler to his 18-month checkup….which entailed the dreaded fingerprick to test his lead and hemoglobin levels. The results came back instantly: he was borderline anemic, which is not exactly a big deal, but semi shocking since he eats a pretty colorful arrangement of cuisines, including his new fave, dog food. Our pediatrician turned and asked me – straight faced – “Does he eat a good amount of leafy greens?”

“Umm, do tree leaves from the backyard count?” I asked back, similarly straight faced. No, in fact, they do not.

Red meat is the first place people turn when iron runs low, but we’re not huge steak lovers in my household, so I’m also trying to sniff out other sources. When I came across this pesto recipe from Whole Living, I was intrigued and decided to adapt it based on what I had on-hand so it didn’t cost me a dime. Thankfully, my son is pretty piggy when it comes to pasta, so this was a huge hit – so huge that he took to eating it straight from the jar. It was the perfect way to get him back on track since the pumpkin seeds and spinach together account for 30% of the recommended daily value of iron.

I’ve done a little research since my son’s appointment, and plant-based iron sources (aka non-heme iron) isn’t as readily absorbed by the body as meat-based sources are (aka heme iron). So I do plan on adding red meat to the weekly menu, most likely via our Pesto-Parmesan Meatballs (which also sneak in spinach), this Orange Beef Stir Fry, and/or our Butcher’s Bolognese. Hopefully this will get my little iron man back in the red, and if it doesn’t, I may have to revisit the swaddle, since he basically non-verbally threatened to end the nurse’s life when she drew blood from his pointer.

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Pumpkin Seed and Spinach Pesto
Makes about 2 cups
Adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients:
1 cup hulled, raw pumpkin seeds – $6.87
1 cup fresh basil, packed – $1.79
¼-cup fresh chives, roughly chopped – $0.69
1 cup baby spinach, packed – $3.99
1 large garlic clove – stock
1 teaspoon salt – stock
Freshly ground black pepper – stock
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil – stock
Grand total assuming well-stocked kitchen: $13.34

Directions:
1) Using a food processor, pulse together the pumpkin seeds, basil, chives, spinach, garlic, salt & pepper until it forms a thick paste. Leaving the processor running, pour in the olive oil until creamy. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

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Filed Under: Entrees, Gluten-free, Last-Minute Meals, Meatless Mondays, Pasta, Recipe Index, Super Sundays, Vegetarian Tagged With: cooking, epicurious, food, healthy, kid-friendly, Pasta, recipes, vegetarian

About Mariel Goodson

The daughter in this mother-daughter duo, Mariel is the co-founder of Brass Hill Design and a former magazine writer who has contributed to Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, SELF, Redbook and Good Housekeeping, among many others.

Comments

  1. Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says

    January 13, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    This looks SO good. I love that you used pumpkin seeds!

    Reply
  2. Rachel Cooks says

    January 19, 2014 at 8:08 am

    This looks awesome! Hopefully it will help bring little man’s iron levels up. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Karen Cummings says

    February 17, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    I am an RN student and just learned if you take Vit. C with iron it increases your body’s absorption of iron. If you take calcium with the iron, it decreases absorption. So if he takes his calcium say an hour after his iron this may help to increase his iron. Hope it helps 🙂

    Reply
  4. Crystal says

    October 8, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    I love all things fall and going to the pumpkin patch and getting great big pumpkins and carving them with my kids and then cooking them into lovely fall meals has to be near the top of that list. This year I decided to roast some of the seeds, but they turned out a little more brown than I usually like. I decided they would be perfect for pumpkin seed pesto though, and I happen to have spinach on hand from our autumn lasagna. This recipe came to me at just the right time. Happy autumn to you all.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Pumpkin Seeds says:
    January 20, 2014 at 8:05 am

    […] Healthy Pumpkin Seed and Spinach Pesto – Feast on the Cheap https://feastonthecheap.net/A healthy, kid-friendly recipe that is packed with leafy greens and essential nutrients, especially iron. Takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. […]

    Reply
  2. Vegan Keto- Pantry Essentials | Health and Yoga with Laima Bean says:
    July 9, 2015 at 8:06 am

    […] seeds- most people use it as a topping on salad, but have you ever tried making Pumpkin Seed & Spinach Pesto? Best thing ever, taste lovely with zucchini noodles, salad or as a veggie […]

    Reply
  3. 19 Savory Pumpkin Seed Recipes to Make This Season says:
    October 10, 2015 at 9:38 am

    […] 18. Pumpkin Seed & Spinach Pesto: Never mind the fact that this sauce is easy to make (with the help of a food processor); there is also a food cost breakdown so you know how much you’re going to need to spend on ingredients. It’s all under $15 and makes about 2 cups. That’s plenty for quite a few servings of pesto pasta. (via Feast on the Cheap) […]

    Reply
  4. Little People Food | Eat, Drink, Glam says:
    December 3, 2015 at 8:33 am

    […] good friend has a babe a few months older than Luke and she turned me on to a pumpkin seed & spinach pesto that we love on elbow noodles.  Yes, “we” love.  There are nights I end up just […]

    Reply
  5. Iron Rich Recipes – Knife&Kale says:
    June 5, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    […] Pumpkin Seed and Spinach Pesto […]

    Reply

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