Not Pesto or Chimichurri, but Fresh Herb Sauce

Since this is still ‘low-carb’ month, or as I found out last night maybe 3 months, I have been looking for ways to really boost flavours in the food we have at night to help disguise the fact that there is a lack of carbs to sooth and satisfy. I was looking through the stack of vegetables we have at the moment and thought that a herb dressing would go well with some filet mignon we had. Though this fresh herb sauce is technically neither a pesto, nor chimichurri, it is probably closest to chimichurri. It is a great accompaniment to steak and other meats, but as you will see later, I had some left over sauce, and it went particularly well mixed through pasta.

Parsley, Cilantro and Garlic

Chimichurri is a fresh herb sauce (dressing) from South America, particularly Argentina, that is served with grilled meat. There are many variations but basically it is made from chopped parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar and some flavourings. My fresh herb sauce is basically the same with the addition of cilantro (fresh coriander), though rather than chopping the herbs, I used a hand blender to make a smooth sauce.

Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Sauce

Fresh Herb Sauce

Ingredients

• A large handful of flat leaf (Italian) parsley
• A smaller handful of cilantro (fresh coriander)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Some water

Fresh Herb Sauce

Method

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to add a little water to help loosen the sauce. Serve over the top of grilled meat such as steak, chicken, pork or fish. A tablespoon per person also goes very well mixed through some pasta like pesto and topped with a little Parmesan.

Pasta with Fresh Herb Dressing