Visiting my parents and kale pesto!

So today I'm with my parents, as you could tell from the title.

In case you don't know, Pennsylvania was (last I heard) in a state of emergency. Power was out everywhere, trees were down, there was extreme ice on the road, etc. etc. There were a lot of traffic lights near me that didn't seem to be working. It was a mess.

So this is what I came home to find.

Uhhhhh, yeah. Although we were lucky, considering our neighbour down the road had a tree hit her roof! (Hope you're okay, Julie!)

While visiting them, I decided to give them a bit of this kale pesto I made the other day.

You know, the kale pesto I mentioned yesterday.

And that's what you're getting today, folks.

Mmmmm, look at that vibrant green colour! Yes, please. You're going to feel SO SILLY for not making this sooner. It's that easy. It's, in my opinion, much more mild than a regular pesto. And it's not nearly as aromatic. (I DO love basil.) But this is so jam-packed with vitamins and health, and I think it's a nice change of pace overall. Also, this is what you should give to people who aren't really pesto fans as a way to get them into it. (Although the dark green colour might turn some people off. I'll admit, pesto isn't necessarily the most "attractive" of foods to some.)

ingredients:

• 5-6 cups kale, ribs and stems removed
• 1 cup of almond Parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• salt and pepper, to taste

The other day I found this mug at Target and just.

I just couldn't resist. So this made an appearance while I made this pesto.

But anyway.

Today's essential mise en place.

instructions: 

1. Throw kale into a blender or food processor until it's full. Pulse a few times, add more kale, and repeat until it's roughly chopped.
2. Add the almond Parmesan, garlic, and lemon juice. Pulse the blender a few more times.
3. Add the EVOO and pulse a few more final times until it's a creamy texture.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is my little blender. Many vegans either have this or the NutriBullet or the Vitamix. I think they're all lovely, really! I've had issues making cashew cheeses with this because it's not nearly as powerful as the Vitamix, but for a simple college student I think it works beautifully.

This is what the kale looks like when you blend it a couple of times.

Throwing all the stuff in~

Make sure you occasionally push things back towards the blades with a rubber spatula. (You can find these for a dollar at any nearby dollar store!)

Now, this is the kind of texture you're gonna want. If you find it's not this creamy, add a little more EVOO until it gets to this consistency.

And bam! Kale pesto, everybody.

And, as a bonus...

I made some fettuccine tonight and tossed some of the pesto on it! So, this is what it looks like on a finished dish. This recipe makes a decent amount, so far I'd say it'll be good for about 6-8 servings depending on how pesto-heavy you wanna go. 

Hope you enjoyed, dearies! I'm off to go get my mother addicted to Once Upon a Time!

xo, Kate