Japanese Style Shiso Pesto Version 1

2 medium garlic cloves, or more to taste

4 cups tightly packed shiso leaves

1/2 cup raw pistachio nuts (pine nuts, cashews, almonds or black walnuts or any other nut may be substituted)

2 tablespoons miso paste (any kind you like)

1 lemon (juiced)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice bran oil

(1) In a food processor add the nuts, shiso, miso paste, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until evenly ground.

(2) Turn the food processor to “on” and let it puree while slowly adding the rice bran oil until smooth. The consistency should be between a sauce and a paste. Miso should make the pesto plenty salty, but you can adjust the salt and acidity (lemon) to your liking if necessary.

(3) If you made far more than you can use in a few days (as I did), you can add the remaining pesto to ice cube trays, drizzle a touch of oil on each, cover with plastic wrap and freeze to preserve individual servings. Enjoy for months!

Japanese Style Shiso Pesto Version 2

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup of shiso leaves

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

(1) Place the pine nuts in a frying pan and roast them on a low heat for 3 – 4 minutes before allowing them to cool.

(2) Wash the shiso and then remove any moisture with a paper towel. Next, remove the stems and then roughly tear the leaves into pieces. Chop the garlic roughly, then place the pine nuts, shiso, garlic, salt and olive oil in a bowl and blend with a hand mixer (e.g. Bamix) until the ingredients combine to form a paste. If preparing the pesto ahead of time, pour the paste into a clean transparent container and seal the surface with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (not included on the ingredients list) to prevent discoloration.