As the children walk by the kitchen each morning they are always curious about what I have hiding in the big blue pot. When I lifted the lid at lunchtime and declared Kale Pesto Quinoa I had more than a few skeptics. I am pleased to report that even the most selective palettes enjoyed this recipe. I was concerned that perhaps the dish wouldn’t prove to be filling but I personally found the contrary to be true. I ate one bowl and felt stuffed.
Pesto is one of my favorites and is traditionally made with basil and pine nuts but those ingredients can become quite costly when trying to feed a crowd. This pesto is more nutritious and budget friendly.
Kale Walnut Pesto
1 bunch Organic Kale
8 oz. Walnuts
1 cup shredded Parmesan
4-6 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Shredded Parmesan aka Cheesy Sprinkles
I began by chopping off the lower stems of the kale leaves and then steaming them for a few minutes. I then added the Kale, Walnuts, Parmesan, whole Garlic cloves, salt and 1tbsp Olive Oil to the Food Processor. Pulse a few times and then switch to on position adding more olive oil until the pesto reaches a toothpaste consistency. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the processor to get all ingredients blended.
Set aside the pesto and cook 2-3 cups quinoa in 4-6 cups of water or vegetable stock. Bring the quinoa to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes or until you see a ring form around each quinoa grain.
Mix Pesto and Warm Quinoa and then top with Cheesy Sprinkles, Voila!
Tip: Quinoa can be expensive but Costco carries a large bag of Organic Quinoa for a great price so if you don’t have a membership find someone that does and ask them to pick-up a bag of this nutritious high protein grain.
