Cilantro Chile Pesto....Meets Tuna

I have been wanting to open my #10 can of green chilies and get them all divided up and into the freezer. I am doing that, although it takes me a good portion of the day if I only use ice cube trays. While I had this process going on today, I grabbed some of the chilies to make this divine pesto. In the photo, the pesto is the green stuff under the Cherub tomatoes--also a family favorite.

It seems wrong to call it pesto. It is an herb mixed with olive oil and nuts--which I love, don't get me wrong here. But this flavor. Green chile peppers combine with a fresh jalapeno and take pesto to a strange new world. New, but wonderful none the less. I have seen lots of such pestos around, so why not add my own mix? My middle boy and I really liked it. My northerner hubby goes out of his way to avoid jalapeno peppers. Pearson and I decided a tuna salad would be a nice way to go for a light Sunday supper. I really really really didn't want to cook. With temperatures well over 107 outside, my kitchen is an oven. Salad is good. Tonight I didn't even want to make a lovely omelet. While I don't doubt an egg dish would certainly show off this gorgeous green condiment, even that was too much fire. 111 later this week assures us of more salads--unless I decide to scramble eggs on the sidewalk.

So here is a fun, unusual pesto to enjoy, no matter the weather. Beware. it packs its own heat

Cilantro Chile Pesto


1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup green chilies
1 fresh jalapeno. most seeds removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic

Remove most large stems from the cilantro. Place the leaves into a food processor or Ninja blender. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. You may need to remove the lid once and push down the contents with a rubber spatula.


For the tuna salad,mix one pouch of tuna with 1 teaspoon mayo and 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons of the pesto. Serve in lettuce cups or over torn greens.

Now I need to go dish up some more of those chile peppers. A #10 can is a lot of chilies. But 99 ounces of flame roasted peppers for under $10 is worth the effort. These are mild enough, even my hesitant hubby likes them.