Mr. Bijoy Writes

I was once asked if I could make a pesto that was cleaner and healthier than what's available in stores. Since pesto is based in oil, it's difficult to make it super-healthy, but if you add kale, you get the kick you need! So here's a recipe for some pesto that has better levels of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. What ya need: 1/4 cup of roughly chopped Walnuts  1 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper  20 leaves of fresh basil  1 teaspoon of kosher salt  2 tablespoons of lemon juice  3 cloves of garlic  1 and 1/2 cups of chopped Kale  1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ok, so:  Throw everything into a food processor and blend until slightly chunky, but smooth. You can freeze this and store it for a month or two as well.

So people always ask me if I know of a better alternative to store-bought pesto. I think it's a dumb question because "homemade" seems like the logical answer, and it is the logical answer. More so, you can alter your pesto to you, or your family's, tastes. So, here we go! Ingredients 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Ok, so: Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Then slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated...