This Mexican-influenced pesto is particularly delicious on baked oysters and bbq salmon as well as pasta. If you have a ton of left-over cilantro from some dish, here is what to do with it.

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted or sautéd in a small amount of olive oil until golden brown
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• a bunch of cilantro leaves and stems (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 small red onion or 1 shallot)
• (optional) jalapeño chiles, seeds removed, chopped OR a sprinkle of cayenne (for those who like their pesto to bite back when you bite into it)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put everything into a blender and pulse until it turns into a coarse purée. Put the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Later, transfer the cubes to a bag and bring them out whenever you want something special.

Cilantro Pesto on Oysters with a Wedge of Lemon

• one tub of oysters (8 – 10 oysters)
• defrosted cubes of cilantro pesto, approximated 3/4 cube per large oyster
• mayonnaise
• lemon or lime wedges

Preheat oven to 375°F.

This dish can baked either in empty oyster shells on a tray or in a muffin tin.

Put each oyster into its own muffin cup or shell, plop some pesto on and then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes.

Add a dab of mayonnaise and serve with  lemon wedges  and coleslaw.

This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appétit’s Pan-Seared Salmon With Pumpkin Seed-Cilantro Pesto.