Lemon Zucchini Pasta

I am finally at a point where I can really come back to my hobbies and side projects. There are times in my life, and I'm sure in yours, when I have to evaluate what I need to do, what's really vital, and make decisions accordingly. Even though I love doing this blog it's just a passion project, and when sh!t got real, it had to go on the back burner.

But now life is fairly calm again. I'm in a good place with school, I've got a good handle on work, and I have a backlog of recipes I want to make. Another thing I'm doing is running. I've talked before about how Paul is a runner and I am not, though I'm sure it would do me some good. I also made delicious breakfast cookies when I talked about that... After being sick in early March and laying on a couch for almost two weeks, I decided I needed to get moving. I started a couch to 5K program on the RunKeeper app on my phone. Paul suggested that instead of just trying to become a runner I should sign up for a race to work for. So I did!

Kale Pesto

I don't know about you, but I like kale.  I always buy too much and often can't find ways to use it all before it becomes, well, unusable.

I also love pesto.  I love it on pasta and sandwiches, tofu and potatoes, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I have found the solution to my kale conundrum.  This is a great recipe!  And it's SO EASY!  I first made this kale pesto and put it on a pizza with goat cheese and olive oil, almost exactly as the recipe called for.

Delicious.  

I've made it since then and have used it on whole wheat pasta with hot italian sausage, and I plan to spread some on slices of fresh baked toasty bread and top it with scrambled eggs and thin slices of pancetta.  Maybe a sprinkle of parmesan on top.  Now I'm hungry. On to the food.

Whole-Wheat Orzo w/ Artichoke Almond Pesto

On so many nights Paul asks the question: What do you want to do for dinner?

About 80% of the time I answer that I want "the orzo."  Tonight was no exception.

I have been going through a serious lemon phase recently.  I want it on everything (I even put one in a Yuengling - it was good), especially bitter greens and garlicky pasta, and there are more recipes to post on that front, but it all starts here.  This pasta dish makes great leftovers and I always look forward to having it for lunch at work.

If you're new to cooking, this dish will make you feel quite proficient.  This beautiful, rustic, nutty pesto is virtually impossible to foul up.

Okay, enough with the chit-chat!  On to the good stuff...