Kale, Seasonal Ingredient for February

Kale contains a wide range of nutrients that can help prevent various health conditions, it tastes great too! We’ve put together two of our favourite kale recipes, a Caesar salad and a versatile pesto, for you to create in the comfort of your own at home.

Kale Caesar Salad

Serves 2 as a main meal or as a side salad for 4

Ingredients

• 2 lemon

• 100g chickpeas

• 1 garlic clove

• 30g Extra virgin olive oil

• Pinch of Cayenne pepper

• 300g Kale

• 200g Cashew nuts

• 20g Capers

• 5g Dijon mustard

Caesar dressing

• Bring 500ml water to the boil and add cashew nuts, cook for 2 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the water and set aside

• Zest and juice one lemon and add to a blender along with the drained cashew nuts, capers, Dijon mustard and Extra virgin olive oil.

• Blend until smooth and season with salt, if needed add a little water to achieve a dressing consistency.

Chickpea croutons

• Take 100g of drained chickpeas and combine with cayenne pepper and a little salt.

• Roast in a 200ᵒc oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and dry.

• Allow to cool

Kale salad

• Pick or roughly chop the Kale and add the zest and juice from the remaining lemon.

• Allow to stand for 25 minutes to marinade and soften the Kale

• To enhance or add texture why not try taking half of the kale before dressing in lemon juice and adding to a low oven at 140ᵒc to make some kale crisps.

To dress

• Combine 2/3 of the dressing with the Kale and 1/2 of the chickpea croutons.

• Arrange in a bowl and dress with remaining dressing and croutons.

Kale pesto

Ingredients

• 250g Kale

• 20g Garlic

• 300g Olive oil

• 40g Basil or other herb of your choosing

• 60g Flaked almonds

• 100g Parmesan or vegan alternative

• 2 Lemons

Method

• Roast the flaked almonds in an oven at 180ᵒc until toasted and golden.

• Remove kale leaves from the stalks and add to a blender with basil, olive oil and garlic. Blend to a rough paste.

• Add the cooled toasted almonds, grated parmesan, zest and juice of the lemons and blend to combine.

• Store in the fridge in a jar with a tightly fitted lid for up to 1 week.

Why not try?

Stirred through cooked pasta

• Use to finish a risotto

• Combine with cooked barley, couscous or bulgur wheat for a salad.

• Use as a dip for crudités or snacks

• Dress roasted root vegetables for the perfect Sunday afternoon accompaniment.

Did you know?

This recipe will feature on our menus across our 2021 Banqueting selection, we use the kale pesto to stir through the final stages of cooking of the risotto, also a little extra served onto as a nice surprise under our crispy kale crisps to add a great texture.