Kale Chickpea Pesto With Asparagus And Peas Recipes

SUPER KALE PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto: In a food processor, add the peeled garlic cloves and process until the garlic is minced. Add the kale, hemp seeds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the oil. Process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add more lemon, salt or pepper if necessary. (You can thin out the pesto with more oil, but if you're serving with pasta, keep in mind that you can also thin it out with reserved pasta cooking water.)
• Cook the pasta (optional): Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve one cup cooking liquid before draining the pasta. Let the pasta and pasta water cool for a minute to make sure the high heat doesn't damage the flax oil pesto.
• If you intend to have leftovers, transfer the amount of pasta you think you'll be eating immediately to a serving bowl and mix in pesto with splashes of cooking water. Otherwise, you can mix the pasta and pesto together in your cooking pot, adding splashes of cooking water as necessary. Keep in mind that you have diluted the flavor a bit with the cooking water, so taste and add more lemon, salt or a drizzle of olive oil as necessary.

INDIAN KALE WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and chile pepper; saute until onion is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chickpeas, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt; saute for 5 minutes. Pour in a splash of water, followed by lemon zest and juice. Season further to taste if desired.
• Fold kale into the mixture until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

KALE AND CHICKPEA SALAD

Steps:

• For the onions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve the sugar. Place the onions in a small bowl and pour the hot mixture over them. Toss well to coat. Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hour before using.
• For the chickpeas: Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, lemon zest, zaatar and salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes. Drain well on paper towels.
• For the salad: Place the Tuscan kale in a large bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and massage the salt into the kale. Add the olive oil, vinegar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup of the onions without their liquid, all of the chickpeas, feta and zaatar. Toss to combine and serve.

PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS AND KALE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; add the peas, asparagus and kale to the pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking and stir occasionally. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables.
• Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, all but 2 tablespoons chives, the lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a blender. Add 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse until smooth, scraping down the inside of the blender. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the tarragon and drizzle with olive oil.
• Add the pasta and vegetables to the chive puree along with 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water and half of the cheese; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat, adding more cooking water to loosen, if necessary. Serve topped with the remaining cheese and chives.

KALE CHICKPEA PESTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• For the Kale Chickpea Pesto Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Pour in the chopped kale. When the water comes back up to a boil (probably less than 30 seconds), drain the kale and rinse with very cold water. Pulse garlic in food processor until chopped. You may have to stop the food processor and push the little garlic bits down the sides. Add kale and chickpeas to food processor and pulse until chopped. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and pulse until chopped. With the food processor running, very slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything in the processor is the consistency of a pesto. You may need more or less of the olive oil depending on how many/how big your broccoli pieces are. Season with 1 teaspoon salt to start and a few hard turns on a fresh black pepper mill. Adjust according to your taste. Remember that this is a pesto and should be strong and salty, since you will be mixing into pasta, grains, etc. We thinned out the pesto with a tiny bit more olive oil. For Pasta Cook soba or pasta. Drain. In a large bowl, combine with vegetables and about half the pesto. Add more pesto as needed. To make a pretty nest of pasta, use a large fork and "twirl" pasta onto the fork from the large bowl. Gently slide off fork into serving bowl. You will probably have to add asparagus and peas to the nests after. Of course, you can just toss a heaping forkful of the pasta into a bowl like we did with the broccoli on the second day. The rest of the pesto will keep in the fridge, covered, for about a day.

SPICY KALE AND CHICK-PEA STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan simmer the chick-peas in the water, covered partially, for 1 1/2 hours, or until they are tender. In a heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden, add the bell peppers, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the chick-peas with the cooking liquid, the kale, the tomatoes with the juice, the tomato paste, the chili powder, the thyme, the orégano, the red pepper flakes, the cumin, the sugar, and the bay leaf, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the stew, stirring ocassionally, for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf, season the stew with salt, and serve the stew on the couscous or rice.

CHICKPEA, ASPARAGUS AND CORN SAUTE'

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over nedium-high heat.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and cook, stiring occasionally, until bright green, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus are tender, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the tomatoes, onion, basil, salt and pepper.
• Serve right away or at room temperature.
• NOTE:.
• 1) I add the onions right after the garlic and saute' for about 5 minutes.
• 2) I parboil the asparagus for 3 minutes prior to adding.
• 3) I add the tomatoes at the very end once heat is turned off -- they stay plumper that way.

POLENTA WITH ASPARAGUS, PEAS AND MINT

Steps:

• If cooking polenta on stovetop: In a medium pot over high heat, combine 4 1/2 cups water, polenta and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how finely the polenta is ground (coarse-ground polenta takes longer).
• Alternatively, cook polenta in oven: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot over high heat, bring 4 1/2 cups water, polenta and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then give the mixture a stir. If it looks dry, add another 1/2 cup water. Cover the pot once more, and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When polenta is thick and creamy, stir in 2 to 4 of the tablespoons butter (depending on how buttery you like it) and the Parmesan. Taste and add more Parmesan and salt, if needed.
• As the polenta cooks, prepare the vegetables: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add shallots and sauté until tender and golden, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and very lightly golden in spots. Add vermouth and cook until alcohol evaporates, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in asparagus and peas, and cook until vegetables are glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock, remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a large pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 8 minutes. (Thicker asparagus will take longer to soften.) Stir in the mint. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
• To serve, spoon polenta into bowls, top with vegetables and their sauce, and grind on lots of fresh pepper. Finish with shaved Parmesan.

FRESH THAI ASPARAGUS, KALE AND GARLICKY MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add asparagus, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Stir in kale; cook and stir until wilted, 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fish sauce and vinegar. If desired, top with sesame seeds.

APRIL'S SPICY CHICKPEA SOUP WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized pot until warm. Add cumin seeds and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, chickpeas, and kale.
• Bring soup to a simmer and cook until kale is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in parsley. Remove from heat; top with Parmesan cheese.

PESTO CHICKEN & ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute asparagus until crisp-tender. Stir in the cream, pesto and pepper until blended. Return chicken to the pan; heat through. Serve with couscous.

CHICKPEA, SAUSAGE, AND KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta, then drain. In a skillet, cook sausage meat in 1 tablespoon olive oil until opaque, breaking up with a spoon. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and cook 3 minutes. Add kale and wilt. Add pasta and Parmesan; season. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

CHICKEN, CHICKPEA, AND PESTO SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together chicken, cucumber, celery, and chickpeas. Add Basic Basil Pesto and a squeeze of lemon. Season with salt and pepper.