I never had the chance to prepare a batch of freezer meals during my first pregnancy, because my son surprised us by arriving three weeks early. This time around I’m practicing making easy and filling meals that can be ready in 10 minutes or less– so that we can function on auto-pilot, even when we are sleep deprived and starving. I’ve found that the key to making fast meals is to have a batch of delicious sauces and dressings ready to go, like this 5-minute pesto sauce. I threw this sauce together last weekend, and the jar lasted me all week for some easy make-ahead lunches and dinners. It’s so versatile that it can be spread on sandwiches or wraps, used as a pizza sauce, scrambled with eggs, or added to salads and veggie bowls for an extra punch of flavor without any added oil.
Once you’ve got a sauce or two like this one ready, all you need is a few more elements, such as a batch of cooked grains, a frozen pizza crust, and a variety of pre-chopped veggies, to have a healthy and filling meal ready in no time. I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite make-ahead lunches later this week, but for now, I’ll leave you with this tasty pesto sauce. I hope you enjoy it! — Oil-Free Vegan Arugula Pesto Makes about 1 cup Ingredients: Directions: Combine all of the ingredients in a small food processor (I use this one) and process until everything is broken down. I prefer my pesto to have a bit of a chunky texture, but you can use a blender if you would like a smoother result.
Once the pesto is smooth enough, taste it and adjust any seasonings as needed. When you use fresh ingredients, the taste will always vary by batch, so I usually end up adding an extra splash of lemon juice or an extra pinch of salt to make it taste “just right.” And also, I think it should be noted that I love a spicy punch of garlic, so 3 cloves is usually perfect for me, but if you’re not the biggest garlic fan, you might only want to start with 1 or 2 cloves and add more to taste. The nice thing about making a blended sauce like this one is you can always taste as you go and adjust as needed! Because the ingredients are so fresh, I’d recommend keeping this sauce stored in an airtight container in the fridge and using it within 4 to 5 days for best flavor.
Substitutions: Pesto is a very forgiving sauce, so feel free to use any other fresh greens you have on hand, such as kale, spinach, or parsley in place of the arugula. Any substitution will change the overall flavor, but as long as you like the taste of each individual ingredient, you should still enjoy the result! Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite make-ahead meal?
