Chilli Pesto

This is basically a cross between green thai curry sauce, salsa verde and pesto. The creamed coconut and oil make it set into a thick paste that lasts ages, and it can be used in a whole pile of things. I stir some into couscous as a side or a quick lunch, use it as a marinade for chicken then grill it, and stick it into stir fries. It's probably good with fish too, but I can't stand fish and neither should you.

As the heat comes from the chillis you can adjust as you see fit, but I like it on the pokey side. Just remember that capsaicin is fat soluble, so when combined with the creamed coconut it will always be a little milder than you expect. Isn't that a great fact? I'll wait while you write that down.

You will need:

2-3 finger chillis, preferrably green but no biggie
2-3 chopped spring onions
1/3 block creamed coconut
handful chopped coriander (precisely the amount provided in a Tesco herb bag, or about 2 tbsp chopped)
handful chopped mint (same amount)
lemon juice
sesame seeds (optional, I like the crunch they give)
salt
vegetable oil
chilli flakes or chilli oil (optional)

Put everything except the vegetable oil and chilli flakes into a food processor.

Blend it. When everything is thoroughly chopped, slowly add some vegetable oil while the processor is running until the mixture turns smooth.

Check for seasoning, and add chilli flakes or oil if you want it a bit hotter.

Spoon into a container, and keep refrigerated.

Here's a picture of a lovely stir fry I made with it.

I just cooked the chicken in a wok with some onions and added a small amount of chilli pesto and some salad leaves (for greenery, I'm nothing if not aesthetic), then served with some re-hydrated rice noodles which had more of the chilli pesto stirred through.

If you're feeling a little adventurous put a couple of teaspoons in a mug and top with boiling water. Great for when you've got a bit of a cold, and way better than lemsip. Lemsip is rank.