Herbed Cauliflower Rice and Roasted Asparagus with a Kale Pesto Sauce

This vegetarian dish is great for lunch or a light dinner. You can substitute quinoa for cauliflower rice but going grain free every once in awhile is good for almost everyone’s gut health. You can substitute the parmesan cheese for a vegan version if you want to omit the dairy.

INGREDIENTS

Kale Pesto

1 bunch Tuscan kale

1/2 cup almonds

2 small garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or vegan Parmesan)

2 tablespoons water

Asparagus

1 bunch skinny asparagus spears, trimmed

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Cauliflower Rice

1 large head of cauliflower (or one 16 oz. bag of cauliflower rice), can substitute 1 1/4 cup quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 bunch chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (reserve about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup toasted sliced/chopped almonds, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°.

For the Kale Pesto: Remove the ribs and stems from the kale leaves. Rinse and then add the leaves to a pot with 1/4 cup of water over medium heat. Cover and simmer until kale is tender but can still hold its shape, about 4 minutes. Drain excess water from the braised kale leaves, and add to the bowl of a food processor.

Combine the kale, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until almonds are finely ground. Start by slowly drizzling in the olive oil, and process until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl, and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. If consistency is too thick, loosen with a tablespoon or two of water. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the Asparagus: Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast until just tender, about 8 minutes.

For Cauliflower Rice: Cut cauliflower in half and remove the core. Break or cut into florets. Place in the food processor and pulse until mixture is the size of rice (alternatively you can use a bag of cauliflower rice). Place large deep skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, allow to heat up and stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring it around the pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower rice, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower rice is crisp-tender and starts to turn light brown in places, 7 to 10 minutes.

Take the skillet off of the heat, and stir in the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and toasted almonds (if using). Taste then adjust with additional salt, pepper or lemon juice.

If using quinoa, cook according to directions. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Add herbs, seasoning, lemon and almonds. Stir to combine.

To serve, spoon the cauliflower rice (or quinoa) onto a serving dish and arrange the asparagus over top. Whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice to 1/2 cup of pesto to loosen it into sauce. If consistency is still too thick, add a tablespoon of water or olive oil. Spoon the kale pesto over asparagus, garnish with remaining mint leaves, and serve.