Alfalfa and broccoli  sprout pesto

Karen McGrath is on a mission to raise awareness about the benefits of eating sprouts. 

Southern Alp Sprouts, the brainchild of Karen and her husband Jason McGrath, has blossomed from a small cottage industry into a thriving, sustainable business – they have just celebrated 25 years in business. 

This nutrient-dense sprout pesto is so versatile. It’s great with corn chips, crackers, or wraps, an easy lunch bed for your eggs on toast or on its own, or simply stirred through pasta. 

Broccoli sprouts are widely recognised as a superfood. They contain sulforaphane, which protects cells against inflammation. Research has shown it to slow tumour growth and stop benign carcinogens from becoming active ones. By adding mustard seeds to your broccoli sprouts, you ramp up the myrosinase enzyme in your gut, which increases the intake of sulforaphane. 

 2 cups alfalfa/broccoli sprouts 

2 cups spinach 

3 cloves of garlic 

½ cup walnuts 

¼ tsp mustard seeds 

1 tbsp parmesan cheese 

½ tsp salt 

¼ tsp dried red chilli flakes (optional) 

¼ cup olive oil 

In a food processor, add garlic cloves, walnuts, and mustard seeds, pulse until minced. Then add and pulse alfalfa/broccoli sprouts, parmesan cheese, salt, optional red chilli flakes, and spinach leaves, and pulse until partially chopped. Then drizzle in the olive oil slowly till smooth. 

Store in fridge or freeze, or dig straight in! 

southernalpsprouts.co.nz 

Liam Stretch