…Or straight from the farmers’ market if your spinach and lettuce plants are as miniscule as mine are in late May. Last month I shared some delectable green smoothie recipes. As promised, this month I’m posting recipes for my favorite dairy-free spinach pesto, easy oven-baked kale chips, and chocolate avocado pudding.  Yum!

The scrumptious green foods featured in these recipes are rich in vitamins K, A, and C, fiber, and essential minerals like manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, and iron. The olive oil and avocado provide a dose of heart-healthy fat that has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits! Let’s get right to the recipes:

Dairy-free Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups spinach
  • 8-10 basil leaves
  • A few parsley sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts (can leave these out for nut-free pesto)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Dash of sea salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Blend until desired thickness is achieved.

Easy Oven-baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch organic dinosaur kale, washed and dried in a salad spinner
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the kale leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Place kale on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss gently to combine. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt – 10 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-sized ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup pitted dates
  • 2  1/2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (or less)

Directions:

Blend well until very smooth (a Vitamix works well!)

Until next time, make every bite count!