Grilled Kale & Pecan Pesto Jazzmen Rice
Yields: 4 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Rice:
  • 1 quart water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups dry rice
  • Pesto:
  • 5 stems curly kale
  • 1 cup canola oil, plus more for coating leaves
  • Course kosher salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 ounces basil
  • ½ bunch parsley
  • 1 cup raw pecan pieces
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Make the rice: Bring 1 quart water, salt, and bay leaf to a simmer. Stir in rice, and bring back to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and turn off heat. Allow rice to steam for a few minutes. Uncover, and fluff with a fork.
  2. Make the pesto: Rub kale leaves with a little bit of oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Lay leaves on the grill, set to high heat, and allow them to get a little charred. (This won’t take but a minute on both sides.) Once you’ve removed the kale from the grill pull the leaves away from the stems and discard stems.
  3. In the work bowl of a food processor, place kale leaves, basil, parsley, pecans, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Pulse until a chunky paste forms. Drizzle 1 cup canola oil into food processor as it’s pulsing to bring all ingredients together.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together rice and pesto. Rice should be moist and well coated, but not clumpy.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/jazzmenrice/