Some Like it Hot

I wanted to share the kale pesto recipe I was talking about earlier. It's a great way to mask a scary-to-some veggie in an unsuspecting way. This particular version has some heat, but feel free to omit the chilis if that's not your thing. Quite frankly, I could go either way with the peppers, but like I said, I've got some spice-loving friends and sharing is caring, right?

Kale Pesto

Ingredients:

¾ cup kale leaves, torn

¾ cup packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, or walnuts or pine nuts

2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, quartered

2 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 red chilis, minced (optional)

Directions:

Place greens in a food processor and pulse until broken up. Add in nuts/seeds and garlic; pulse a few times, then add in remaining ingredients and process until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally. Remember to taste as you go!

Pesto freezes very well. Instead of chilling down an entire container when you are likely only going to need a small amount at a time, try freezing in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop all of the pesto cubes into a Ziplock bag for compact storage and defrost only the amount needed.