Pesto

Absolutely love pesto. I love making a good portion of it and then have it available for other dishes. Adding it to pasta, quinoa, veggies, soup, crackers, carrots, etc. If you are unable to finish it all within a 3-5 days, then I like to put it in the freezer to use another time.

Today, I made this colorful pesto pasta dish and it only took 15 minutes. How? I made the pasta and then just added the pesto, pickled red cabbage (from Hawthorne Valley), chopped green onions and black pepper.

KALE PESTO

makes roughly 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Baby Kale
• 1 cup of Basil
• 1 cup of soaked cashews  
• 2-3 chopped garlic
• 3-4 T olive oil (add more if you'd like) 
• 1/2 t of sea salt (to taste) 
• 2 t of black pepper (optional) 

How to make it? In a bowl add 1 cup of cashews and soak them in water, while you prep or feel free to soak for an hour (if you have time). Now get your blender (vitamix is what I used and love) and add all the ingredients, then add cashews, blend, taste, adjust salt and olive oil depending upon what you like. Enjoy!

Stir-Fry Veggies with Quinoa

Stir-Fry Veggies with Quinoa

This stir-fry veggie quinoa meal is on heavy rotation at my home because it’s quick, full of nutrients, protein (quinoa) and flavor. Great part about this dish is that you can add other veggies, tofu, tempeh or any other protein of your choice to change it up. 

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

8 oz Trader Joe’s frozen harvest hodgepog mix

3 chopped garlic cloves

½ chopped jalapeno (optional)

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp safflower oil or oil of your choice

2 Tbsp lemon joice

handful of arugula or green of your choice (optional)

dulse flakes (good source of iodine) 

Directions:

1. In a small pot, combine quinoa with two cups water and place over medium heat, covered. Once it boils, turn it down to a low simmer and continue to cook over low heat until the water is completely absorbed - around 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Finely mince the garlic and chop jalapeno.  

3. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat and add the minced garlic, chopped jalapeno and black pepper. Stir for a minute or two and then turn the heat to medium low.

4. Pour half of the 16 oz frozen vegetable mix into the medium-sized pan and stir-fry until cooked on medium heat. Add in a little bit of water to help the cooking process.

5. After 15 minutes add the lemon juice and sea salt. Stir, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Sprinkle dulse on top of veggies and enjoy it over a bed of quinoa. 

All-Time Favorite Pesto

All-Time Favorite Pesto.

This pesto is full of good protein, calcium and so tasty. Make sure to double up on the ingredients and make a bigger batch because you’ll want to store some in the freezer for later. You can enjoy it as a dip, with steamed vegetables, pasta and much more. Try it.

Ingredients:

1 cup kale

1 cup arugula

1 cup basil

1/2 cup soaked cashews or walnuts (20 minutes soaked in water)

1 cup olive oil

1 tsp sea salt 

3-4 garlic cloves

crushed red chili flakes (for garnish and spice kick)

Directions: Soak cashews or walnuts for roughly 20 minutes in water. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Pour in more olive oil for the consistency you prefer and add red chili flakes for a little kick. Enjoy!