Life is all about balance right? We try to live a balanced life. Drink lots of water. Track steps on your FitBit. Eat kale.

This Kale & Spinach Pesto is my current balance. Balancing me to be totally ok for situations like when weeks are crazy, grocery shopping is undone, full meal supplies are scare and take out is an effective option. That was this week, and this Kale & Spinach Pesto saved the day so hard it should’ve worn a cape.

An easier approach to kale

If you can’t yet commit to full blown kale craziness, but want to incorporate more of this fiber loaded green into your diet, baby kale is the perfect softer, gentler, version. Like hugs of green, superfood goodness.

If you’ve already accepted this leafy green into your life, try this Best-Ever Braised Kale that’s perfect as a side dish to main courses. It’s definitely something we eat on a weekly bases in this house. And with the summer months upon us, this round up of 13 cool and tasty salads perfect for spring and summer will have something for everyone. Or for those chilly, rainy Spring days test out this Tuscan Kale White Bean & Sausage Soup.

Someone once told me that her husband calls kale, “…the lettuce that hurts your teeth.” Which not only still makes me laugh when I remember it, but keeps me grounded in that not everyone is so enthusiastic about kale.

So if you side with this gentleman in feeling this roughage is a little too rough, try the baby kale. Similar in bitterness to arugula with the same crunch factor as spinach. And when you blend it all up with sweet, floral basil, garlic, cheese, olive oil and pine nuts. Then you can put it on things like pizza and salad or this B-E-A-UTIFUL Spinach Gnocchi from Wanderspice.

Balance, amiright?

Kale & Spinach Pesto

Pesto is so incredibly easy to make [and eat] and for the green thumbs out there, it’s pretty easy to grow in your home garden. Also making it far more cost effective than purchases at the grocer. If you’re just starting out your first herb garden, definitely check out this post from Gardner’s Path – The Top 5 Mediterranean Herbs: Growing, Eating and Healing – chock full of really great information for a fruitful herb garden.

And food processors….HELLOOO….ah, the. best. Stuff it all in there, pulse until all the leaves, nuts and garlic are minced up and slowly drizzle olive oil in while it blends. Pesto from start to finish in under 5 minutes. When the days are long and the nights are hot, this Kale & Spinach Pesto is the answer to your quick dinner prayers.

Easy Grilled Whole Wheat Flatbread

Pizza is such a beautiful invention isn’t it? Especially now that there are gluten free options. More pizza for everyone!

When the weather is super hot though, the idea of turning on the oven is incredibly unappealing. So fire up that grill, because you can have homemade ‘naan’ style, flatbread pizza on the table in under 20 minutes. AND keep the house nice and cool.

A store bought ball of pizza dough, whether whole wheat or regular, is the saving grace to saving time. Divide the dough in two, and stretch into two round-ish pizzas. Patch up any holes, and try to avoid making the dough super thin as it will burn easier.

On a nice, hot, clean grill carefully layout both well-floured doughs. It will stick to the grill at first, but as it cooks it will release. A wide, metal spatula is ideal for this if you do not have a pizza peel. About 1 1/2 minutes on each side is all you need to prep this flatbread. Once the dough is firm enough to remove from the grill, add your toppings and return to the grill with the heat lowered.

Because the dough is already mostly cooked, you just want to crisp up the bottom a tad and melt your cheese. Just under 5 minutes and you’ll have hot, ready, grilled pizza goodness on the table.

And with healthy, whole ingredients like baby kale and baby spinach, you should have a cape too because you are the hero of dinner.