Kale Pesto Your Kids will LOVE

​The struggle is real when it comes to fresh dark greens and kids!

How do I get them to eat it and lots of it too? My answer came in the form of pesto.  All you need is 10 minutes and a food processor.
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Plus I kicked it up a notch making it healthier and more cost effective and dairy free (pine nuts and Parmesan cheese are expensive).

Start with one whole, big, beautiful, bunch of curly organic kale.

They are many different kale varieties, the best for pesto making is the curly kale.  I use the whole bunch and make it in two batches.  One batch for dinner and another to freeze for a quick weekday meal.
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fresh garlic! (Side note: make sure your garlic is not coming from china, you wouldn’t want to add some bleach to your food. This is one item I choose organic.)

​Lightly toasted walnuts and hemp seeds will replace the expensive pine nuts.  Healthier and more cost effective alternatives. 

These ingredients add lots of healthy fats, omegas, protein, iron and much more. 
I recommend 2 heaping tablespoons of hemp seeds but add more if you would like, hemp seeds have a nutty taste and walnuts too if you want your pesto a bit nuttier. Yum!

​In place of cheese we used nutritional yeast.  It provides a cheesy flavor and is salty too, which gives the pesto a great taste.  It makes your pesto more cost effective and increases the nutritional value, vitamins and minerals. 

Of course, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a must! You can use a different oil if you wish or a combination, such as avocado oil.  But do not use an oil with a heavy flavor such as coconut oil or sesame seed oil.

​Some of the oil in the recipe can also be replaced with water, half and half.

​Use this pesto on:
Pasta
A spread
Dip veggies
Salads
Over chicken
Just dip your spoon and eat it! It’s amazingly delicious! 

I tossed it with spaghetti, roasted broccoli and a little Parmesan cheese.
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​If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag a photo #whiskingapples on Instagram! Happy Cooking!

Kale Pesto for Kids

½ bunch of a large kale
2 heaping tbsp Hemp Seeds
¼ C lightly toasted walnuts
3 cloves garlic
2 heaping tbsp. Nutritional yeast
¼ C to ½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (depends on consistency you prefer)
Salt & pepper to taste

If you like a little spice add red pepper flakes.  Gives it just the right amount of kick!

Wash kale under cold water. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree, 2 – 3 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

​Make sure to freeze some too!