October 28, 2013
After I tossed the pesto into the pasta I finished it with a scant pinch of chile flakes and a drizzle of top shelf olive oil.
I’m not a vegan, heck, I’m not even a vegetarian, but it’s nice to have versatile options. To me, good food is just good, aside from any dietary qualifications. Maybe it’s just a California thing, but there are so many people following different diet paths that I can’t keep it all straight. I find comfort in good recipes that allow me to feed a variety of guests.
Enter this vegan kale pesto. It’s easy and delicious, fresh and yes, vegan. It’s bright green, tastes zesty and can be used in multiple ways. Toss it in pasta, spread it on a wrap sandwich in lieu of mayo, and if your eating field is wide open, and you like the taste of kale and nuts, then I highly recommend using this pesto as a sauce base for a pizza layered with creamy cheese and fennel sausage.
I’m just saying.
Salt brined capers are delicious and such a treat! They make a perfect stocking stuffer for the foodie in your life. Can someone please inform Santa I’m running low?
I buzzed the whole shebang in my mini-chopper — easy breezy
2 cups chopped dinosaur kale, about 6 large leaves, stems removed
2 small cloves of garlic, smashed
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon salt brined capers, rinsed
3 tablespoons blanched almonds
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Add the kale, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, capers, almonds, lemon juice and zest to your food processor. Pulse until incorporated. Then add the olive oil and pulse until you reach desired consistency.
