This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and tastes a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Mr. Italicano devoured this rich thick pesto as quickly as he did with the kale chips that I made last week.
There are many ways you can serve this kale pesto:
- with toasted whole wheat pita chips or crackers
- as a spread in a sandwich with mozzarella and smashed white beans
- alongside fish :: pesce
- mixed into whole grains and cereals like farro, millet, bulgur or couscous
- mix into whole wheat pasta or used as a layer in vegetable lasagna
I used it the other night with a simple wild caught sesame salmon recipe. For the millet :: miglio I just cooked 1/2 cup millet with 1 cup water, covered on low heat for about 15 minutes. When the water was absorbed I added 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, a few dashes of paprika and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. I used a round pastry cutter to give it its shape and topped it with the kale pesto. Simple yet elegant.
As you can see this is a very dense :: denso pesto. If you prefer a more runnier texture, simple add more extra virgin olive oil until arriving at the consistency desired.
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
- 14 oz (300g) kale, cleaned well, stems removed and finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 squeeze of 1 slice of lemon
- ¼ teaspoon finely chopped red hot pepper
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sautè the garlic over low heat until it just barely begins to turn color; 1-2 minutes. Don’t let it brown completely.
- Add the kale, ginger, lemon juice, red hot pepper, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir until combined then cover for 1-2 minutes until the kale has wilted.
- Put the mixture into a blender or use a hand held mixer, add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the quantity of olive oil to the consistency you want, more oil will be a runny pesto, less oil will be more dense like the photo above.