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1
Preheat the oven to 400.
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2
Make the Kale Pesto Remove the ribs and stems from the kale leaves.
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3
Rinse and then add the leaves to a pot with 1/4 cup of water over medium heat.
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4
Cover and simmer until kale is tender but can still hold its shape, about 4 minutes.
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5
Drain excess water from the braised kale leaves, and add to the bowl of a food processor.
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6
Make the Kale Pesto Combine the kale, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until almonds are finely ground.
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7
Start by slowly drizzling in the olive oil, and process until smooth.
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8
Transfer the pesto to a bowl, and fold in the grated Parmesan cheese.
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9
If consistency is too thick, loosen with a tablespoon or two of water.
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10
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
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11
Roast the Asparagus Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet.
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12
Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and turn to coat.
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13
Season with salt and pepper and roast until just tender and bright green, about 8 minutes.
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14
Make the Herbed Quinoa In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, add the quinoa with 2 1/2 cups of salted water and bring to a boil.
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15
Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
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16
Drain the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to discard excess cooking liquid.
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17
Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
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18
Make the Herbed Quinoa To serve, add the chopped parsley and half of the mint to the bowl of quinoa, and toss to distribute throughout.
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19
Spoon the quinoa onto a serving dish and arrange the asparagus over top.
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20
Whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice and up to 1/2 cup of pesto to loosen it into sauce.
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21
If consistency is still too thick, add a tablespoon of water or olive oil.
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22
Spoon the kale pesto over asparagus, garnish with remaining mint leaves, and season with salt to serve.
