Salmon with Pepita and Kale Pesto

If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been posting as much this week, it’s because I’m trying out the Bon Appetit Food Lover’s Cleanse. It seemed like a good idea to try eating healthy for a couple weeks, as we tend to do this time of year. I’ve had a lot of oatmeal, muesli, and pumpkin smoothies. And don’t get me started on lentils. I’m really craving a slice of pizza or a cupcake or something with some white sugar….one more week to go.

Anyway, while the meals I’ve been eating are healthy, I haven’t really felt the urge to blog any of them because, well, I really wouldn’t choose to eat them on a normal day. Until this salmon. Granted, I switched up their recipe a little to use up some cleanse leftovers in the fridge, but the nutritional content I think is basically the same. And somehow, I wasn’t missing the cheese in this pesto. That in itself is rather amazing…

Salmon with Pepita and Kale Pesto

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)

1/2 cup kale

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 garlic clove

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon aleppo pepper

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable stock

4 6-ounce salmon fillets

Toast the pepitas in half the olive oil until they start to brown. Reserve a couple tablespoons to garnish the salmon with at the end. Combine the majority of the pepitas in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend. Saute the salmon in the remaining olive oil on low heat until it starts to get opaque. I like to leave it medium rare in the center. Top the salmon with some of the pesto and garnish with the whole pepitas.