Kale Pesto & Sun-dried Tomato Toasts

Things have been a bit quiet around here you may have noticed. I hope you haven't minded the lack of recipe posts, but I've had some big things happening being the scenes. Firstly, you may have noticed that the blog design is in the process of changing around a bit. I felt it was due an update, but it is currently a work in progress and will get a few more tweaks - what do you think? You can be honest, is it too blocky and black?

Secondly I've been squirrelling away recipes here and there for my upcoming cookbook, which will be released later this year. Thirdly, I may have been caught up in organising a rather large event in which I'll get to wear a spectacular dress.

But I'll get back on track posting recipe soon, and in the meantime have this lovely recipe. It's a simple and easy finger food recipe which is never the less bursting with flavour and will have people going back for another one straight away. It's a very easy to prepare recipe, you can make the pesto the night before and even toast the bread in advance too. So that all you have to do when you want to serve them is spread some pesto on and place a sundried tomato on top - too easy!

I reccommed using a home made pesto on these, but if you're really not keen to make your own then you can also use a good quality store bought pesto. However, it won't have the same fresh taste or the bright green colour. I've used my home made kale and macadamia pesto, but you can use any pesto you like. For a bit more of a kick, try my rocket and chilli pesto, or if you're a traditionalist you can just stick with good old basil and pine nuts. Or for a different take on basil pesto - try my broad bean pesto.

Enough chat, though! Here is the recipe:

Kale Pesto & Sun-dried Tomato Toasts

Ingredients
1 jar kale & macadamia pesto
1 baguette (French stick)
1 jar sun dried tomato slices

To Make
1. Make the pesto first, you can do this up to a week in advance.
2. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius and have it on the 'grill' setting (meaning the oven is hottest at the top).
3. Slice the baguette as thin as you can without it starting to break up (about 1 cm thick is usually about right). Arrange your slices on a tray and place in the oven. Keep watch over them, as they won't take very long to cook. Once they are slightly golden on one side, remove the tray and flip all the pieces over. Return to the oven for another couple of minutes, or until that side is a nice golden brown too. Remove and cool. You may have to do this in batches.
4. Once the toasts cool, they should have hardened up nice and crispy. No more than 20 minutes before you want to serve it, you can assemble them. Do so by spreading a generous layer of kale pesto on each of the toasts and topping with a slice of sun dried tomato. Serve and watch them disappear in minutes!

I've entered this dish in the Vegan Virtual Linky Potluck.

Kale & Macadamia Pesto

If you've never made your own pesto then this should be the year you try it, because you're missing out! Home made pesto is so bright, fresh and delicious! It's also much better for you, generally using less oil and, of course, no preservatives or additives. If you make your own pesto, but you've never made kale pesto, then this should be the year you try it because you're missing out! Kale makes the tastiest pesto, and it's also a lot cheaper than basil. I've posted kale pesto once before, my Kale, Almond and Orange Pesto, but this one has an Australian flair, with delicious creamy macadamia nuts.

Kale & Macadamia Pesto

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, washed
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

To Make
1. Remove the tough stems from the kale and tear up into pieces.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a paste. You can have it as chunky or as smooth as you prefer (I like mine a bit chunky!).

Makes about 2 jars.

To have with pasta:
1. Cook some pasta al dente and then drain. Stir a generous drizzle of olive oil through the hot pasta and then add lots of kale pesto. Stir until all the pasta is coated in pesto and then eat hot or cold as a salad.

Kale, Orange & Almond Pesto Spaghetti

Our digestive systems taking a beating these days. Foods laced with artificial ingredients, chemical additives, flavours and colours are commonplace in every kitchen because it's quick convenient and cheap! I'm no different, it's so convenient to buy a bottle of passata or a stir fry sauce to make a quick dinner or lunch. In my practice as a health care practitioner I see not only lots of people with diagnosed digestive problems, but also countless people with undiagnosable "digestive discomfort", including heartburn and indigestion.

If you suffer from symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, lower abdominal pain, flatulence or irregular bowel movements you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about getting some relief. If they aren't able to diagnose a cause then your best bet is to see an acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist, as they will treat the root of the problem for a more long term solution (disclosure: I'm a doctor of Chinese Medicine!). You should also look at your diet, as in my professional experience it can often be as simple as altering what you put into your body. It may be an intolerance such as wheat or lactose, or it may be time to start reading the labels on what you're buying at the supermarket!

It's really easy to start making a few things at home instead of buying commercial ones full of preservatives and things our bodies were never meant to consume. It only takes a few minutes to make your own pasta sauces and salad dressings. You can even whip up your own smoky bbq sauce in just a minute. Making your own pesto is easy too, and it tastes much more fresh and delicious than store bought. I love the bright green colour when I make my own pesto and the gorgeous fresh taste. It couldn't be easier - just chuck it all in a food processor and blitz it for a few minutes. It doesn't have to be basil pesto, either.You can experiment with different types as well, such as my rocket & chilli pesto and my broad bean pesto.

This healthy, vegan & additive free meal takes only 10 minutes to make. For quickest results, put the spaghetti on to cook and make the pesto in the 8-9 minutes it takes for the spaghetti to cook (varies depending on which type of spaghetti you use).

Kale, Orange & Almond Pesto Spaghetti

Ingredients
400g dried spaghetti
1 bunch kale, washed and stems removed
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Zest of 1/2 orange (about 1 tsp)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra olive oil, as needed
Blanched almonds, to garnish

To Make
1. Boil the spaghetti according to the directions on the packet, until al dente.
2. While the spaghetti is cooking, tear up the kale and put it in a food processor with the almonds, garlic, orange zest and olive oil. Process until all chopped up into a paste, you can make it as smooth or as coarse as you like - I like to leave mine a little chunky.
3. Drain the pasta as soon as it is cooked and return to the pan. Add an extra 2 tbsp of olive oil and toss through the pasta. Mix the pesto through the spaghetti evenly, you can add a little more olive oil if you need to to make the pesto mix easier.
4. Lightly toast a handful of blanched almonds to garnish and serve immediately.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Gavsicon.

Broad Bean Pesto Pasta with Spring Vegetables

Springtime to me speaks fresh crunchy spring vegetables and fresh vibrant green home made pesto. I've tried to make this pesto a little healthier by using less oil and substituting a bit of vodka and a bit of vegetable stock. It's delicious, but a little dryer than if you'd chucked in a cup of olive oil. If you're not too fussed about  superoily pestos, then by all means increase the oil. This would be a great opportunity to use some of your basil pineapple infused vodka, which I did, to give it an even more basil-y kick. 

Ingredients

Pesto
1 cup broad beans, boiled or steamed
1 cup basil leaves, torn
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 measure of vodka (30ml)
1/3 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce

Pasta
400g spiral pasta
2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
10 asparagus spears, woody ends removed and cut in half
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers

To Make
1. If you haven't already cooked the broad beans, do it now. Peel the skins off them and discard (to do this, make a small slit in the skin with a sharp knife and then squeeze gently until the bean inside pops out).
2. Combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Cook the pasta for a couple of minutes less than in says on the packet (the instructions almost always tell you to cook it for too long). Check to make sure it is just perfectly cooked but with a little bit of bite to it. In the last minute of cooking the pasta add the green beans.
4. Turn off the heat and add the asparagus spears. Cover and leave for about 30 seconds.
5. Strain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir through the olive oil.
6. Add the pesto and capers and stir through. Return to the stove over a low heat and heat gently until it is hot enough to serve. You can season to taste with salt and pepper (although the soy sauce already provides some salt, so go easy).

Serves 4

Love home made pesto? Check out my Homemade Rocket Pesto.

Rocket Pesto Fettuccine with Tomato, Olives and Artichoke Hearts

Having the rocket pesto already made up in a jar in the fridge makes this seriously a 10 minute dinner - and it tastes so special you would never know you spent less time on it than in your morning shower. 

Ingredients

1 cup Rocket Pesto

1 packet fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tomatoes, diced

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 cup kalamata olives

2 tbsp fresh lime (or lemon) juice

Salt and cracked pepper, to taste.

To Make

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.

2. Add the olive oil immediately and stir through the pasta - this will stop it drying out and sticking together.

3. Stir through the rocket pesto until it coats the fettuccine evenly.

4. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir through and serve immediately!

Serves 4.

Homemade Vegan Rocket Pesto

This little jar of heaven is a must to keep in the fridge a) because you can smear it on your sandwiches and vegie burgers and b) if you stir it through some hot pasta it makes a seriously sensational and super quick dinner or lunch.

Ingredients

200g fresh rocket

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 red chilli (most seeds removed)

Juice of 1 lemon

70g pine nuts (1 pkt)

To Make: 

1. Put the rocket and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Add the garlic, chilli, pine nuts and lemon juice and process again until all ingredients are finely blended and it looks nice and pasty.

3. Use immediately or store for up to 2 weeks in a jar or sealed container in your fridge.

Makes 1-3 jars (depending on the size of your jars). Makes nice gifts too :)

Try our Rocket Pesto Fettuccine with Tomato, Olives and Artichoke Hearts.