Back To School Lunch: Buckwheat Salad with Kale Pesto and Sweet Potato Chips

I don't know about you but packing lunch everyday and trying to be creative about it and healthy at the same time is daunting.  We've teamed up with Purl Soho for some super cute lunch bag ideas (they made the outside) and we  at KR, are filling them up with some healthy choices.

Cuteness on the outside and tasty on the inside.  This sewing project from the Purl Bee is just the ticket to get you excited about making lunch.

Buckwheat Salad with Kale Pesto and Sweet Potato Chips

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat groats
• Sea Salt
• 1 cup chickpeas (best if you cook your own but canned works just fine), rinsed and drained
• 2 cups yellow string beans, blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Several tablespoons Kale Pesto, see recipe below
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt butter in a medium skillet over low heat.  Add buckwheat and toast, stirring, just until groats take on a little color and start to smell sweet and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in a pinch of salt add 3 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer uncovered) until groats are tender but still retain nice toothsome quality, about 15 minutes. Do not allow them to turn to mush.  Stir in chickpeas, beans and kale pesto.  Adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice.  

Kale Pesto

• 1 bunch Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale, thick stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

Place kale, garlic, anchovies and capers in jar of bar blender.  Process just until kale begins to break down.  Add olive oil and blend until mixture is smooth.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  If using all your pesto right away stir in a bit of fresh lemon juice.  If you intend to keep batch on hand for awhile - add lemon juice as needed. 

Sweet Potato Chips

• 3 small Japanese (white fleshed) sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt

Heat oven to 425.  Arrange sweet potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly but thoroughly brushed with olive oil.  Brush tops of sweet potatoes with more oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place in oven and roast until the sweet potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes.  The potato slices should easily lift from baking sheet and be golden brown on the bottom as well as top.  Turn off oven and leave potatoes in oven to cool completely and crisp up, about 4 hours.  Store in an airtight container. 

Metal lunch container from Lunchbots belgian linen paper napkin from Sur La Table Button Lunch Bags from the Purl Bee