my jerusalem kitchen

I know you probably thought that I was over you. That I had…given up. That suddenly we just…lost it.

But, it’s not you, it’s me, really. Well, it’s not me, really, it’s my computer, and it’s my winter vacation. Fortunately for all of us, it’s also all the left-over/loser ingredients in my fridge before embarking on our vacation travels and family hopping. This recipe is yet another “whatever is in the fridge” type of recipe.

In all honesty, I will never go back to traditional pesto. I like it. But it’s oily, it’s fattening, and basil is out of my budget. This is better. Kale is cheaper, its freshness is bolder and clean. The pistachios are grounding, the lemon is bright and tangy, and the few pinches of parmesan are salt and creamy. And that’s JUST the pesto part!

Topped with sweet and crunchy caramelized onions and sprinkled with shaved gouda cheese on whole wheat dough, this is the perfect light flatbread to pair with a salad and a glass of white wine.

What you need:

pizza dough (Trader Joe’s, this recipe, whatever your favorite flatbread is)

one onion; sliced

1 tsp sugar

oil for frying

3 1/2 c kale

2-3 tblsp olive oil

1/4 c parmesan cheese

juice from 2-3 lemons (to your taste)

1 c unsalted pistachios

salt (to taste)

1/2 c gouda cheese; grated

How to do it:

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 13 x 7 in – or whatever shape you prefer. Place the dough into the oven with a little olive oil painted onto the edges until the edges begin to brown. Slice your onion and cook with with the oil and sugar over medium heat until the onion browns and becomes soft. Meanwhile, throw all the “pesto” ingredients into a food processor until it looks like a paste. Remove the bread and spread the pesto all over it. You will probably have a little left over. When the onions look brown and crispy cover them all over the flatbread and sprinkle grated gouda evenly all over, including the edges. Place back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so – or at least until the cheese begins to bubble and the underside of the flatbread has browned. Enjoy!