Translate

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Massaged Kale Salad


Have you ever tried kale? If not, you are missing out. Before I had tasted kale, I was under the impression that it was a boring and green leafy vegetable that was very bland in taste. Boy was I wrong! Kale is tasty & it can be used in many different dishes. Since discovering the many wonders of kale about a year ago, I have made pastas with kale, kale smoothies, soups with kale, and kale salads! I love the stuff.
If you don't know much about kale, you should know that kale is a super food. It is great for protecting your health and preventing cancer, because it has cancer-fighting compounds and it is full of vitamins and minerals. Kale can be found in most grocery stores. I like to buy kale in packaged bags in which the kale has already been cut and washed, especially if I will be serving it raw.
I have made this massaged kale salad several times. It is pictured here with red grapes, toasted almonds, and Parmesan cheese. I have also made the salad with caramelized onions, toasted almonds, and Parmesan. Mango, toasted pumpkin seeds, and coconut are also great toppings for this salad - it is versatile. The dressing is a delicious mix of lemon, honey, and olive oil. I think you will love this salad & you will love the way you feel after eating all of the healthy foods in the salad (kale, almonds, red grapes). Enjoy!

Recipe for Massaged Kale Salad

INGREDIENTS:
For the salad:
3 Cups of kale, stems removed & torn into smallish pieces
Juice of 1/2  lemon (you'll need the other half for the dressing)
A drizzle of Extra-Virgin olive oil
Dash of kosher salt
2/3 cup of seedless red grapes, whole or cut in half
1/4 cup of toasted almonds, whole or chopped
2 - 3 Tbsp. of finely grated Parmesan cheese
For the dressing:
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. of honey
1/4 cup of Extra-Virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Put the kale into a large bowl. Pour the juice of 1/2 lemon over the kale and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Add in the dash of kosher salt. Massage the kale with your hands (make sure your hands are very clean)! Massage the kale until it begins to soften and wilt (this will take 1 - 2 minutes). Set the bowl aside while you prepare the salad dressing.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the rest of the lemon juice, honey, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil while whisking the mixture until a dressing forms. Taste the dressing & adjust to your desire.
Pour the dressing over the kale and mix well. Top the salad with the toasted almonds, red grapes, and Parmesan. Divide amongst salad bowls - serves 3 - 4.


Recipe Adapted from: The Food Network, courtesy of Aarti Sequeira 2010

NOTE:
This brand of packaged kale is very good for the kale salad. Other brands of packaged kale have been more bitter, and if I used it the overall taste of the salad was not as good. But the Glory brand always has been great! 

2 comments:

  1. This looks really good! I just posted on a kale salad the other day, going to have to try your soon - I love kale!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome, just checked out your salad & it sounds tasty. How have the baked kale chips turned out for you? Do you have a good recipe for kale chips?

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear from you!