We're loving this mouthwatering recipe from Cookie + Kate!
Pizza doesn't have to be avoided. And if you love kale, it could even be heaven on earth! This recipe from wholesome food blog Cookie + Kate ticks all the boxes when it comes to pregnancy nutrition.
Enjoy!
Serves: 2-4 (depending on how hungry you are)
Time: 20 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking
Good for: Omega-3, protein, Vitamins A, C and K, folate and fibre
Ingredients
For the pizza
1 lb store-bought pizza dough
2 cups grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup lightly packed kale, chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
1 tsp olive oil
Optional garnishes
Red pepper flakes
For the kale pesto (yields about 1½ cups, which will probably leave you with extra)
3 cups packed kale, preferably the Tuscan/lacinato variety, thick ribs removed and roughly chopped (about 1 small bunch)
¾ cup walnuts
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
2-3 cloves garlic, depending on size
¾ tsp fine-grain sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup olive oil
Method
• Preheat oven to 260ºC with a rack in the upper third of the oven. If you’re using a baking stone orbaking steel, place it in the oven on the top rack. Check the instructions of thestore-bought dough package. It might need to rest at room temperature while you work on the pesto.
• For the pesto. In a food processor, add the kale, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt and several twists of freshly ground black pepper. Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the oil. Process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add more lemon, salt or pepper if necessary.
• Prepare the pizza dough as directed. Roll out your dough into one large pizza. I like to roll out the dough on pieces of parchment paper for easy transfer to the oven. For best results, roll the dough out as thin as reasonably possible while maintaining an even surface level.
• Top pizza with an even layer of pesto (you may end up with extra pesto, which would be great on pasta or as a sandwich spread, etc.). Sprinkle cheese over the top. Lastly, in a small bowl, toss 1 cup chopped kale with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Rub the oil into the kale so it's covered with a light, even layer. Distribute the kale evenly over the top of the pizza.
• Transfer the pizza to the oven, either on a baking sheet or onto your preheated baking stone. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese on top is bubbly (about 10 to 12 minutes on a baking sheet, or as few as 5 minutes on a baking stone). If desired, top pizza with a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Slice and serve.
And that’s that! Have fun!
Recipe by Cookie + Kate; image courtesy of Cookie + Kate