Kale me krazy, but the world seems to be going a little “Greens” and Health Mad at the moment…and I’m all for it!  I love experimenting with ways of making traditional tasty recipes slightly more nutritious and a little more “green”. With normal pesto being parmigiano orientated, surprisingly fattening and oil / cheese heavy, I thought it would be good to try out some healthier versions of this flavoursome, aromatic sidekick.

I’m artichoke obsessed, and not because of the plentiful “salad jokes” they provide… (see below) but because they are low in fat, rich in dietary fibre, folic acid, antioxidants AND they taste deliciously Mediterranean.

Instead of the traditional (albeit delicious parmesan and basil pesto) I decided to use a pot of marinated Artichoke hearts, Kale, and Nuts to make a Paleo and Vegan Pesto.

Ingredients:

Pot of Marinated Artichoke Hearts (ideally with chillies and peppers etc to cheat!)

A Fistful of Organic Kale (and a fistful of Spinach)

½ Cup of Pine nuts (or Macadamias work also!)

Fresh Garlic Cloves (chopped – about 5 teaspoons)

1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Note that Pesto is always made to taste, so adjust the ingredients or amounts to how you like it. I always use extra garlic but ad lib it when you try… Also, if the Kale is too bitter for you, you can mellow the pesto out by subbing half of the kale with fresh baby spinach leaves.

Method:

Easy Peasy! Put it all ingredients other than the oil in a food processor (or I used my nutribullet!) and PULSE!  While blitzing, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Adding the olive oil slowly will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating.

This Pesto is such an easy creation to add to salads, or a fresh plum tomato and mozzarella dish. However, my favourite, is when I use it to stuff chicken breasts, wrap in pancetta and bake in the oven – delicious!

Hope you enjoy,

PWPantry x

P.s.

Q: What do you call a conversation between two artichokes?

A: A heart to heart.

Q: Where did the artichoke go to have a few drinks?

A: The Salad Bar!

Q: What did the artichoke say to the man eating a salad?

A: Have a heart.