Kale pesto

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

This easy pesto packs lots of veggies into a versatile green sauce that can jazz up any meal.

Take me to the pesto!

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

I love playing the game “Will it pesto?” It’s similar to two of my other favorite games, “Does it pizza?” and “Will it waffle?” I can safely say that kale is one of my favorite contestants in this game. I skipped the dairy in this recipe, but as always, feel free to go with your gut and add in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan or other nutty, dry cheese.

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

Kale pesto

Time: 15 minutes, all active
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from The Kitchn
4 cups chopped kale, firmly packed
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup fresh basil, loosely packed
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and fill another large bowl about half way with ice water. Wash and chop kale, but don’t worry about removing the tough stems because everything will be blended anyway. When water is at a rolling boil, add the kale and swirl with a slotted spoon a few times. When kale is a bit wilted (about 1-2 minutes), remove it from the boiling water and immediately add it to the bowl of ice water.

Drain the kale. I don’t drain it very thoroughly (I just take it out of the water and shake it a few times) because I think a little extra water helps to thin the sauce without adding more oil, but you can pat the kale dry if you want a thicker pesto. Add to your blender or food processor.

Roast the walnuts in a 350 oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes or until just lightly browned and starting to smell nutty. You can also toast them in a sauté pan on the stove top. When browned, add them to the blender or food processor as well.

Add the basil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice and start to blend, slowly adding the olive oil in a thin stream. If using a small food processor or a blender without a top that opens, just add the oil with the rest of the ingredients and process together. Blend until you've reached your desired consistency.

Chicken liver and berry puree

Yup, that's right. Chicken liver for babies. I was hesitant at first too, but we gave some to M when he was around 1 and he LOVED it. Who knew? M likes it plain, but combining it with berries and turning it a lovely purple color definitely makes it more appetizing.

M's passion for chicken liver is helpful since it’s one of our extended family’s staples for holidays and family dinners. And you know what? It’s easy to make and is a protein- and iron-rich dip for crackers or veggies. And it’s delicious. Trust me. Actually, don't trust me: Make it for yourself and see.

If you've made chicken liver before, skip these next few pictures. If you're a liver novice, here's what mine looks like at various stages of cooking:

Stage 1: Put some olive oil in a hot pan and add the livers, making sure that each one has some space in the pan. Cook in batches if you have to.

Stage 2: Ready to flip. Once you see brown creeping up the sides, flip those puppies over and continue to cook.

Stage 3: Add the onions. Once you have an even browning on both sides, add the chopped onions. It's okay if there are some pinkish areas remaining because cooking isn't over yet.

Stage 4: Cover. Once the onions are translucent and the livers are mostly browned (it's okay of there are some slightly pink nooks, but you should see any "raw" patches), cover and cook over a low flame for about 10 more minutes. 

Chopped chicken liver

.75 lb chicken livers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil over a medium flame. Add chicken livers and brown on both sides. Once livers are browned, add the chopped onions. (It’s okay if there are small bits of pink still showing on the livers in the nooks and crannies- see photos.) Cook on medium heat until onions are opaque, about 5-8 minutes. Cover and turn heat to low. Let simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until livers are cooked through.

Immediately add cooked livers and onions and all liquid to a food processor or blender with hard-boiled eggs and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, but I’m usually very generous with the salt at this phase. Pulse the food processor until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Taste again for seasoning.

Yield: about 2 cups

Berry compote

1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
2 Tbsp water

Combine berries and water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the berries are cooked down, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree. If your little is opposed to seeds (like mine), pass through a mesh strainer. 

Combo

2 Tbsp Chopped chicken liver
2 Tbsp Berry compote
1 Tbsp Applesauce

Classic Caesar Dressing

This Classic Caesar dressing ticks all of the boxes: fast, easy, dairy-free, Whole30, and most importantly, delicious.

Take me to the dressing!

Quick content warning: I’m about to talk about body image and weight and dieting. I promise not to talk about it ad nauseam on this blog, but as a human with a body who eats and looks in the mirror, it’s hard not to fall prey to the diet culture and wellness madness that swirls around us.

So, I just finished doing a Whole 30 and nary a crumb or drop of wheat, grain, dairy, soy, legume, alcohol, or added sugar crossed these lips the entire time. It was, by far, my most successful run of disciplined eating. And I lost 10 lbs.

But then I went back to "real" eating. For the first few days, I felt scared of anything that wasn't Whole 30-approved. Like, eating a grain of quinoa was going to wreak havoc. So I kept up the regimen. Then I had some wine and remembered how much I loooooove wine. So, I decided to rejoin Weight Watchers (guys, Oprah eats bread on Weight Watchers EVERY DAY). But, then I quit Weight Watchers. Then I tried eating Whole 30-approved foods while also recording everything on My Fitness Pal, which then turned into: Eating Whole 30-approved foods but adding back just grains and beans. Then I convinced myself that I should just work out daily to keep the weight off while eating everything in moderation. And then I had a meltdown and ate an entire chocolate babka. Bear in mind that my Whole 30 ended just two short weeks ago. That's a lot of dieting in 14 days. And a lot of babka.

During the Whole 30 I abstained from some of my FAVORITE things without much difficulty and really did feel great. I mentioned in an earlier post that one upside to the plan's rigidity was that I stopped obsessing about my food choices. Welp, that came back full force once I didn't have to follow the Whole 30 rules. I also feel much more obsessed with weight loss than I did before and more discouraged about my ability to stick to a regimen even though I JUST DID IT.

Also, this article came out.

There is hella conflicting information about health and nutrition out there, which I already knew, but is maddening nonetheless. Do I worry more about the content of my food or the volume? Is exercise or eating more central to wellness and weight loss? If I do manage to lose weight, am I one of the teeny percentage of people who can actually keep it off? So, I've been toying with the radical notion of just stopping. Just shutting down the voice in my head that says my worth is inversely proportional to my size. Or that my worth is bound to how I look at all. Or that there's something wrong with how I look. Or that "healthy" has a rigid and universal definition. And just when I think I'm good with that, I feel a clenching in my chest imagining the weigh-in at my next doctor's appointment...

No matter how frustrated with food I might feel, this Caesar dressing is insanely good and will remain in the repertoire. 

*Update: It’s been four years and I could have written this four days ago, so…yeah, still struggling with weight and body image! But I still make this dressing all the time, so something good came out of doing Whole30.

Kale Caesar salad

2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen avocado mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2-3 anchovy filets (look for ones packed in olive oil)*
2 cloves garlic (medium)
3-4 dashes Cholula hot sauce
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups raw kale

*I've recently realized that some anchovies, particularly the ones that come in a can with a peel-back lid, are what I would call a half filet. If your anchovies aren't double sided or look like they've been butterflied, then double the amount to 4-6 of these half filets.

Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop. Set the food processor to puree and slowly add olive oil in a stream. Add salt and pepper to taste and puree until all ingredients are combined. Remove tough stems from kale, clean, and chop. Toss dressing and greens together and serve.

Kid-friendly Pesto

Basic pesto is so easy and elevates any dish, even for toddlers and littles. #meandthemoose #pesto #pasta

Basic pesto sauce is so easy! It lasts forever in the fridge, freezes beautifully and makes everything from soup to sandwiches to pizza taste that much better.

Take me to the pesto!

Really pack that cup of basil for this kid-friend, quick pasta sauce. #meandthemoose #pestorecipe #pesto #easyrecipe

Pesto is simply the best-o, no? I hate myself for writing that.

But seriously, I LOVE pesto. While I’m not the best gardener (though I’m working on it!), basil has always thrived in our yard, so we’re on a constant pesto rotation during the summer and early fall.

And since kid palettes don’t always love the strong flavor of raw garlic, I quickly roast some to make it sweeter and milder. (Check out my reel for a wee tutorial.) That way, you can use a tiny bit of raw garlic and as much roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil as you like for a really complex and layered garlic flavor that littles and bigs will both enjoy.

Added bonus: This pesto is dairy optional!

Kid-friendly pesto

This pesto uses roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil to make it a little easier on a kid’s developing palette and to create a complex garlic flavor for grownups to enjoy.

Kid-friendly pesto

This pesto uses roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil to make it easier on a kid’s developing palette and makes a complex garlic flavor for the grownups as well.

Kid-friendly Pesto

Time: 30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: about 1/2-3/4 cup of pesto (enough for about 1/2-2/3 a 1lb box of pasta)

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 large roasted garlic cloves (or more)
1 very small raw garlic clove
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp roasted garlic oil (or more)
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted almonds, walnuts, or cashews (walnuts our my preference)
1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
Optional: up to 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To roast the garlic: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Smash the garlic cloves (chop in half if they're extra large). Don’t worry about the skins- they’ll come right off after cooking. Place in an oven-proof bowl or container (I usually use a small glass Ball Jar on a cookie sheet in case of spillage), and fill with oil just until it covers the garlic completely. Place the uncovered container in the oven and roast until lots of tiny bubbles are popping aggressively around the cloves, about 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven. Check the garlic frequently (like, every two minutes) to prevent overcooking. Let stand for about 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

While the garlic is roasting, toast the nuts. Feel free to throw them into the oven with the garlic, but again, keep a close eye to prevent burning. Our oven usually does the job in about 4 minutes. 

Place the basil, roasted garlic cloves, raw garlic clove, toasted nuts, lemon juice, and cheese (if using) in a blender or food processor. In a slow stream, add plain olive oil and roasted garlic oil while blending (if using a tiny food processor without a window in the top, just add the oils and whizz everything together). Taste for seasoning and add salt. Blend again.

Freezer tip: I love to freeze pesto in covered ice cube trays.
 

Romesco sauce

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up virtually any meal.

Take me to the sauce!

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

I truly believe that there is nothing better or more versatile than a great sauce. You can put it on eggs, roasted veggies, any kind of protein, on toast (avocado or otherwise), use it as a dip, stir it into soup, or combine it with hot pasta and a little pasta water for an instant sauce.

I’m allergic to meal prepping, but sauce prepping is something I can get behind. It can uplift any boring chicken or pasta that you might whip up at the last minute. And truly, it takes minutes to prep this bad boy, so you’re not spending an entire Sunday filling the fridge.

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

This is basically Bon Appetit's recipe with a few small tweaks. I never have sherry vinegar, so I sub in red wine vinegar. I also left out the parsley because I don't like it.

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco

Yield: 1.5 cups
Time: about 8 minutes

1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
3/4 cup fire roasted red peppers
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Spread the almonds out over a piece of parchment paper or tin foil. Toast until lightly golden brown.

Add the peppers, garlic, toasted almonds, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, paprika, and cayenne to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Add the oil in a stream (or dump it all in) and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.