Cilantro Pesto & Mashed Potatoes

I've been looking for good ways to "Indian-ize" some basic, American cooking. I found a great recipe for spice rubbed lamb chops, which I plan to try for my hubby in a few weeks, and was trying to figure out some good accompaniments for them. Lamb chops and mashed potatoes seem to be a popular combination, and taking some inspiration from the awesome sun dried tomato mashed potatoes at the Bellagio Buffet, I decided to try a substituting cilantro for basil in the pesto. Makes for some yummy cilantro mashed potatoes!

Cilantro Pesto

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 to 1.5 bunches cilantro leaves

0.25 cup olive oil

0.25 cup lemon juice

pinch of red chili powder (more, if desired)

0.5 cup nuts (I like walnuts, but almonds or cashews work too)

0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

(1) Grind cilantro, nuts, and garlic in food processor until coarsely chopped and mixed.

(2) Add in lemon juice, cheese, oil, salt, and chili powder. Blend until smooth.

You can either add a few spoons of this into your mashed potatoes and mix to infuse the flavor and color, or you can use as a garnish / topping.

Photo source: http://img.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/ck/pesto-potatoes-ck-522112-l.jpg