Who doesn’t love pesto? Who hates kale?
Vegetables are critical to our health, though they likely are taking a back seat to more shelf stable foods during tough times (or even camping trips).
This delicious spread is garlic with a bit of zing. I bet the pickier eaters won’t even notice that it’s really a vegetable in disguise. Using greens in sauces, spreads and soups is a great way to prevent spoiling and to spread them out between trips to the store. This pesto can be stored in the freezer or canned.
Best of all, this pesto is loaded with immune boosting vitamins and ingredients. Kale is loaded with fiber, protein, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. It’s also a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium and manganese. Garlic is a known to help fight germs and boster your immune system thanks to a compound called allicin. Pumpkin Seeds are filled with iron (essential for healthy red blood cells). Lemon adds vitamin C to the mix which is great for immunity, but also helps you absorb the vitamins. Finally, olive oil also aids absorption, is an antioxidant and immune booster. It also gives you extra calories important in lean times.
Ingredients:
1 small bunch kale
1/2 lemon
Handful raw pumpkin seeds
3 cloves raw garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon each
Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender. If it gets “stuck” during blending adding more olive oil can help. Puree until smooth.
Serve on pasta, as a sandwich spread, mixed in eggs, on grilled meats, and just about everything!
Store in the fridge in an air tight container.
Morgan Sjogren ➸ Running Bum 