You know a podcast is a good one when it inspires you to turn off the phone and do something productive. That's what happened after listening to a recent Cherry Bomb Magazine Podcast with the Hemsley Sisters (of the cookbook Good + Simple) on our drive back to the city from New Paltz yesterday.
Listening to the girls talk and describe their food made me want to get in the kitchen and cook up an Athlete Food meal. I made this Butternut Squash "noodle" dish, a new (and gluten-free) take on this AF favorite: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Kale and Pesto.
Butternut Noodles with Kale, Goat Cheese, and Pesto
Serves 2
¾ cup walnuts, toasted
1 medium butternut squash, spiralized**
8-10 leaves lacinato kale, ribs removed, and sliced into thin pieces
2 tablespoons pesto (there are some good store bought Pestos out there, look for one made with olive oil)
2 tablespoons soft goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
Fine sea salt
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Lower the water to a simmer, and add the butternut squash. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the kale and cook for 1 more minute. Drain.
Return the pot to the burner and turn the heat to low. Add the butternut and kale into the pot. Fold in the pesto gently with a rubber spatula.
Divide the butternut, kale, and pesto between two bowls. Top each with walnuts, goat cheese, a pinch of sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
**A note about spiraling: you can DIY this if you have a spiralizer or you can do what we did and buy it pre-sliced. Whole Foods in NYC just started carrying it, by the way.
