Pasta with Kale Pesto #2

www.torontosun.com

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. (500 g) of pasta of your choice

1 cup (250 ml) of kale pesto

2 tbsp. (25 ml) lemon juice

1 cup (250 ml) of grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. (25ml ) chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta until al dente. (Reserve 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the hot pasta water and set aside).

Toss the pasta with the kale pesto and lemon juice adding the reserved pasta water as needed. Add the cheese and toss again. Season with salt if needed and toss again.

Transfer to a large pasta bowl. Scatter the walnuts over the top. Season with some freshly cracked pepper and serve.

Kale Pesto

(Makes 1 cup)

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted walnuts

3 cups (750 ml) of washed kale

1/3 cup (75 ml) parsley

1/2 cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan

1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the garlic and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well combined.

Add the kale, parsley and Parmesan. Pulse until combined.

With the machine running, add the oil and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Options:

Add grilled chicken or shrimp to this pasta dish to make it a substantial main course.

Pasta with Kale Pesto

Tamara Stimpson

Ingredients:

•1 lb. (500 g) of pasta of your choice

•1 cup (250 ml) of kale pesto

•2 tbsp. (25 ml) lemon juice

•1 cup (250 ml) of grated Parmesan cheese

•2 tbsp. (25ml ) chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta until al dente. (Reserve 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the hot pasta water and set aside).
• Toss the pasta with the kale pesto and lemon juice adding the reserved pasta water as needed. Add the cheese and toss again. Season with salt if needed and toss again.
• Transfer to a large pasta bowl. Scatter the walnuts over the top. Season with some freshly cracked pepper and serve.

Kale Pesto

Tamara Stimpson

If you add this to 1 lb of cooked pasta, it will serve 6. It also will include 24% of the recommended daily intake of iron, 68% of vitamin A, 88% of vitamin C, 16% of calcium and 15% folate! Yummy AND great for you!

Ingredients:

1 bunch (approx. 1 lb) of kale

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup EVOO

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

• Grasping the stem of the kale between your thumb and forefinger, strip the kale leaves off the stems. Place the kale, garlic, onion and 1/2 tsp salt in a large lidded saucepan, and fill with 3 cups water. Bring water to a boil; cover and cook over medium heat until the kale is tender (approx. 15 minutes).

• Reserving the cooking water, place the vegetables and 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid in a food processor. Pulse until minced but not smooth.

• Remove the pesto and mix with the EVOO, black pepper, remaining salt and Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

• Stir in to your favourite cooked pasta and serve with some freshly ground cheese and pepper on top!

Lemon Kale with Chickpeas

Tamara Stimpson

A quick and delicious side dish!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp EVOO

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper

10 cups packed chopped kale

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 tbsp lemon juice

• Heat 2 tbsp EVOO over medium heat in a large shallow Dutch oven.

• Saute onion, garlic, salt & pepper for approximately 4 mins. until softened.

• Stir in kale and lemon rind and cook, stirring for approximately 2 minutes, until slightly wilted.

• Pour in 3/4 cup of water, cover with a lid and cook stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the kale is soft and wilted.

• Stir in chickpeas and lemon juise and cook over medium-high for a couple of minutes, or until no liquid remains.

• Drizzle with remaining oil and serve.

Kale Chips

Tamara Stimpson

This is a simple, healthy and satisfying snack (especially for someone like me who LOVES chips and could easily eat a bag in a sitting!) They're crispy but seem to almost melt in your mouth after that first delightful bite! Next time you're having a snack-attack, grab a bunch of kale and make your own chips!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, ripped into 'chip' sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp seasoning salt (can also use lemon pepper,

cajun seasoning, sea salt...the sky's the limit!)

• Toss the kale with the olive oil and seasoning salt. Spread evenly out on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

• Place the pan into a 350F oven for 10 to 12 minutes - keep an eye on the kale as it can go quickly from crispy to burnt!

• Remove from oven and let cool slightly and enjoy!

Wheat Berry, Kale, and Cranberry Salad

Tamara Stimpson

With the weather getting much cooler, I must admit that a salad sounds far less appealing than a bowl of warm soup, however this one was too good to pass up! The chewiness of the wheat berries is nice with the crisp kale and sweet cranberries. If you don't want to use wheat berries, substitute 2 1/2 cups of quinoa, green lentils or brown rice!

Ingredients:

1 cup dried wheat berries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup EVOO

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

5 cups chopped kale

1/2 cup diced red or white onion

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• Rinse the wheat berries. Combine with 8 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, covered, until wheat berries are tender (approx. 30 to 35 mins). Stir in cranberries during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

• Whisk olive oil with vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Season with black pepper. Stir in wheat berry mixture, kale, onion and bell peppers. Serve immediately. Keeps really well refrigerated for up to 1 day!