Recipes as seen on @pizza_night_

KALE PESTO

1 bunch of kale (preferably Tuscan) torn off its stalks.
1/4 cup of pine nuts or almonds
3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of honey or maple syrup
1 big clove of pre-roasted or pan fried garlic
50g of parmesan (optional)

Blend all ingredients to form a paste.
Add a splash of water or more oil if you need it. 


The pine nuts provide protein.
Omit honey for kids under one.
Add a handful basil if you've got it.
Use pesto in zucchini and ricotta slice | brown rice bowl | scrambled eggs | on pizza | stirred through rigatoni

SALMON PARTY

Requires no prep. Super-fast. Ticks all the boxes in terms of protein, omega something and other good for yous. 

Dressing
1/2 cup of plain yoghurt
2 tbs of basil, mint and/or parsley loosely torn
Juice and rind of half a lemon

The rest
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove diced
150g of stripped Tuscan kale
Drained tin of lentils or equivalent soaked ones
2 salmon or rainbow trout steaks, skin on

Combine yoghurt, herbs, juice and rind.
Heat half the oil in a pan and fry garlic over medium heat for a minute or two. Add Tuscan kale and a splash of water until slightly wilted. Remove.
Add lentils to pan and warm through. 
Heat remaining oil on medium high heat in a fry pan and place fish skin-side down. Cook for four minutes on each side (This is a guide. It will depend on thickness and your taste prefs), flipping once.
Serve salmon on a bed of lentils and kale; drizzle over dressing. Enjoy.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

1kg sweet potato (approx two big ones)
1 egg yolk
3 cups plain or 00 flour
3/4 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Roast sweet potato for an hour at 200°C. Peel immediately and mash. Let cool for ten mins. 
Add egg yolk, flour, ricotta, grated Parmesan. Mix together until a dough is formed but don't overwork it. If it seems really sticky add a little more flour. Wrap tightly and leave for half an hour. 

Lightly flour a bench, cut dough into workable pieces and roll into 1.5 cm cylinders. I found if your hands are covered in flour it's harder to roll. Cut into 2cm pieces with a floured knife. You can press with a fork to look pretty or use a gnocchi board. 
Lay them on a floured surface or tea towel in one layer so they don't stick together. 

To cook: Place into rapidly boiling water for 1—2 minutes or until they float. Add to pan with sauce and warm through. 
To store: Freeze for an hour as one layer so they don't stick and then place all into a bag to freeze. 

CONGEE

1 cup of long grain or brown rice (BR takes a little longer to break down)
6 cups of water or chicken stock

Additions
4 Chicken thighs
200g sliced mushrooms

Garnish
Thinly sliced ginger
Spring onion
Roasted garlic
Soft boiled egg
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Sriracha
Fried Shallots
Black Vinegar
Wilted Spinach

Take one cup of long grain or brown rice (BR takes longer to get porridge-y) and six cups of water or chicken stock and simmer for an hour and a half. Time depends on how you like it. Check it as it goes. 
Garnish with thinly sliced ginger, sesame oil, spring onion, soy sauce and fried shallots. 
I tripled the recipe for leftovers and added four chicken thighs at the start to poach while it cooked. I also added some sliced mushrooms, broccolini and corn with half an hour to go. And I went a bit crazy on the black vinegar. Sriracha a must. You could add a soft boiled egg or wilted greens.

BAKERY TREATS
These are good for rock-bottom, empty-fridge, what-do-I-feed-them-when-they-both-need-to-be-in-bed-in-half-an-hour-and-I-haven't-made-lunch panic days. 
Makes 4

1/4 cup of kale pesto
4 slices of cheddar or swiss cheese
1 sheet of puff pastry

Preheat oven to 180°C. Slice frozen sheets of puff pastry into four squares. Line one half of each square with thin slices of cheese and a good layer of kale pesto. Fold into a triangle. Prick holes with fork. Brush with milk. Bake until golden (18-20 minutes). 
Serve with a chutney or solo.

Alt version: Try with vegemite and cheese, leftover bolognese or frozen peas. 

HEALING LEMONADE
1/3 cup of honey
4 cups of water
1 cup of lemon juice

Warm honey and water on stove until combined.
Add lemon juice and chill.

Miso Salmon with Fried Brown Rice and Slaw

Dinner preppin' for Miso Salmon with Fried Brown Rice and Slaw (recipe adapted from Barra Bento from the @aboutlifenm kitchen and kale slaw from @mydarlinglemonthyme). All an excuse to eat more kimchi. 

CHEESY BISCUITS

These cheesy biscuits are a recipe from @arthur_eats and we almost ate them all in one afternoon. I used kale pesto instead of poppy seeds.