Couple of Staples: Everyday Vinaigrette & Kale Pesto
These are a couple of items I always have to have through the week and honestly they make a world of difference when you’re putting together a last minute dish. The vinaigrette was taught to me by my mother in law, a fabulous cook who I take much inspiration from. You can have a layered and loaded chopped salad and the vinaigrette will serve as a light dressing to compliment the bold flavours or similarly just a simple green salad with some herbs chopped through and it’ll be the star of the show. In the winter, I’ll swap the lemon juice for orange juice and add some orange zest and toasted coriander seeds for bitter leaf salads.
Everyday Vinaigrette
100ml apple cider vinegar
100ml neutral oil - avocado/sunflower
100ml olive oil
1 heaped tsp english mustard
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp sugar
1 lemon juice
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Mix everything together. Double it up if you like. Keeps well in dry store.
Kale and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
I love the bulky, chunky nature of the kale and pumpkin seed pesto. This recipe is perfect for anyone looking to put together something really simple and delicious or perhaps someone who has a nut allergy.
1 bunch kale, stalks removed (also great with 200g spinach)
1 large bunch of basil
70g pumpkin seeds, toasted
60g parmesan, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Lemon juice to taste
Blanch your kale in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid. Put into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. This is beautiful when served with pasta or as a generous dollop on a stew.
