Kale pesto pasta. Heavy cream optional (but not really).

A short while back, I shared a recipe for salmon and kale quinoa and we learned all about those three fantastic superfoods with some fun videos!

But I found myself with half a bag of kale left, that needed tending to before it wilted/rotted in my fridge. I can't believe how fast it goes bad once you open that bag. So, I'm here to share with you a super recipe for using up all that leftover kale!

I took a recipe I found here and I've tweaked it (aka added heavy cream) into the deliciousness I share with you today.

Okay, that's actually a pretty glorified way of putting it. What really happened was that I made the pesto, but didn't make enough pasta, so it was a thick pesto mess. A couple days later I made more pasta to thin out the pesto, and went crazy and added a cup-ish of heavy cream. Then I felt guilty, so I diced up a tomato and threw that in there too. Never apologize for anything that happens in the kitchen, Eaters.

[pre-heavy cream and tomato additions. bad pesto-to-pasta ratio.]

Pasta with kale pesto cream sauce. and tomatoes.

2 lbs of pasta (yes, I realize that's a lot. I was going off of my leftover kale situation! i used whole wheat spirals.)
1/2 lb of kale, chopped and destemmed and all that jazz
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup deshelled pistachios
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 cup(ish) heavy cream
1 tomato, diced

Salt a pot of water and bring to boil. Add kale and blanch for 2-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it out and onto some paper towels. Let em cool a sec then use more paper towels to pat/squeeze dry. 

Toast the pistachios in a small saucepan/skillet situation over medium-low for a couple minutes, stirring to toast evenly.

Cook your pasta somewhere around here-ish.

Grab your food processor, and add the garlic and toasted pistachios. Pulse until coarse. Add the kale and lemon juice and pulse until mixture is nearly smooth (but still has that pesto-y bits to it). Scrape the sides and add the parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Pulse again, and while the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

At this point, you can put it in a tupperware with a little olive oil to save, or spoon it over your pasta and give it a good stir.

To make it a pesto cream sauce, heat 1 cup or so (depending on how liquid-y you want it) of heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium. Bring almost to a boil, then pour over your pasta along with the pesto. Chop up a tomato and toss that in there too.

Happy eating!

   

Supersupersuperfood dinner: salmon and kale quinoa

I can't remember how I first stumbled upon this recipe. I was probably in ESTJ-mode (as referenced in my veggie curry post) and wanting to really really get some good nutrition in my belly. This dish does exactly that, with three of the most healthy, whole foods you can get your hands on.

I should say upfront that this dish is not pleasing to the eye, hence the lack of photos in this post. But it is truly delicious, and it's a great way to get three superfoods into one meal. To make up for the lack of photos, I've included a video on each of the three--salmon, kale and quinoa--from the watchsuperfoods youtube channel. These videos are short, fun ways to learn about the major health benefits of certain foods!

First up, omega3-rich salmon:

Next, the vitamin-rich kale:

and finally, protein-rich quinoa:

Now that you know more than you ever could imagine about salmon, kale and quinoa, let me share the recipe with you!

Salmon and kale quinoa
recipe originally found here

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 medium onion, diced
7-8 leaves of kale, chopped (I can only ever find kale in bags, so I used half a bag, about 8oz)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (again, no shame in the jarred pre-minced stuff!)
3 Tbs olive oil (divided)
10oz poached salmon, flaked (see below for poaching directions)
32oz vegetable stock (or chicken, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

First up, you need your salmon to be cooked. I poached mine--put in saucepan and fill with water over high heat until it boils. Then remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 mins. Remove fish and check to make sure it's done, especially with thicker filets. Then flake and set aside!

Next, start preparing the quinoa. This takes some time because (similar to a risotto) you add the liquid in small increments, letting it absorb each time. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until transparent. Add quinoa and stir to toast, about 2 minutes (it'll start to smell nutty, don't let it burn!). Add 1 cup vegetable stock, stirring until stock is absorbed (this takes longer than you'd think, but be patient!). Once that is absorbed, add another 1 cup of stock. Continue stirring until absorbed. Add the rest of the stock in 1/2 cup intervals, letting the stock absorb each time. Remove from heat.

While the quinoa is taking its sweet time to absorb, work on the kale. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan with the garlic over medium high heat. Once it's sizzling, add the kale, turning to coat. It'll cook down a lot, so don't worry if it seems like too much. Keep stirring while the kale sautes, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Once each part is ready, stir quinoa, kale and salmon to combine and add salt and pepper to taste!

 [Kale. and wine, of course.]

Like I said, it is not much to look at, but the salmon combined with the kale really helps take out the bitterness that turns a lot of people away from kale. It makes a bunch, so feel free to halve the recipe, or just eat it for a whole week like I did!