kale

Persimmon and Pomegranate Kale Salad

October 24, 2016

Have y’all every had a persimmon before? I hadn’t until Saturday when I ran across a whole stash of them at Trader Joe’s, on special. If you have seen them, you know they look a little bit like a squat, orange tomato. Which is kind of what I expected them to taste like. But, nope. Not at all. They have a mild, sweet flavor that some have described as how you wish a pumpkin to taste. Whatever that means.

Since I clearly don’t have much exposure with persimmons, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the bag full I picked up at the store. Do I cook with them, bake with them? I had no idea. So I just ended up making a salad.

But what does one put in a salad with persimmons? I certainly had no idea. So I relied on all the other Fall foods I had available, like pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. To balance out all the sweetness, I also added some crispy pancetta, which is a fancier (and Italian) version of bacon bits.

To me, the best part of the whole salad was the dressing. (But, if we are honest. I think the best part of most salads is the dressing.) I made the dressing with some of the rendered fat from the pancetta as the fat in the vinaigrette, and mixed that with a bit of maple syrup and white balsamic vinegar. So essentially, it was dressed with bacon fat and maple syrup. Oh so healthy

Despite the fact that I just threw this salad together as an attempt to use up these persimmons purchased on a whim, it was delightful! The persimmons were sweet, the pomegranates were tart, the pancetta was salty, and the kale was lightly coated in maple vinaigrette. I had only intended to have half the salad for lunch, and save the rest for dinner, but before I knew it, the entire bowl was gone.

That happens more than I would like to admit.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:87]

Berry Quinoa and Kale Salad

March 23, 2016

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I have been posting so many cookie and cake recipes lately I thought I should break it up and post something a bit healthier. Even I am starting to get a stomach ache from reading all these sugar-filled posts (yet as I write this, I am eating left over birthday cake)! So what better recipe to lighten things up than a kale salad?

I know kale isn’t everyone’s favorite. I only tolerate it because it is so healthy and I know I am being good to my body by eating it. That is, until recently when I finally figured out how to prepare kale for salads that makes kale more than tolerable…it actually makes it taste pretty good!

Kale Salad-1

I learned this trick from a friend of mine who always makes the best salads. Her trick to making kale edible is to massage the kale with lemon juice and letting it sit for about 10 minutes before adding on the extra toppings. Pretty high maintenance, I know…but it really makes a difference! The lemon juice helps to break down and tenderize the kale, plus it adds some extra, much-needed flavor.

Now my trick to making kale tolerable is to pile on all my favorite salad toppings like avocado, strawberries, and goat cheese.

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The best part is that each of these toppings is delicious on their own but they all have their own super power making this salad extra healthy!

Kale is packed with lots of fiber and is incredibly nutrient rich. Avocado and walnuts are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Strawberries and blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin C. Chickpeas and quinoa are a great way to get some protein. And goat cheese adds some calcium to the party.

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Because there are so many flavors going on with the toppings, I didn’t want to over power the salad with a heavy dressing. I made a simple vinegrette with honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. It added the perfect amount of sweetness to cut through kale’s bitterness, and just a hint of acidity.

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This will surely be one of my go-to salads to make for lunch this Spring and Summer. It is light and refreshing, but is still hearty enough to make a complete meal. As different fruits and berries come into season, this salad is easily adaptable to other yummy ingredients.

What’s your favorite way to eat kale?

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:10]

Lightened Up Kale Artichoke Dip

October 14, 2015

I personally love spinach artichoke dip, but have you seen some of the ingredients in it? Mayonnaise, sour cream, and tons of cheese. No wonder it is so delicious.It is terrible for you! But that is what inspired me to make something a bit healthier for our college football watch parties (Sic ‘Em Bears!). I decided to make a kale artichoke dip that is lightened up with Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese.

I was fully prepared to make this dip with spinach, but I had a lot of left over kale so I thought I would give that a shot (but this recipe can easily be used with spinach instead). I sauteed the kale in a bit of olive oil with some garlic and salt. I added the kale and artichokes to a food processor to chop up a bit. I then used the food processor to help me mix in the Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spices. That way I don’t have to dirty another bowl.
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I transferred the mix to a small cast iron skillet (or you can use any baking dish) and topped with a bit of cheese just for the cheesiness that makes spinach artichoke dip so wonderful.

After baking just long enough to get all the flavors to meld together and the cheese to get ooey and gooey (about 20 minutes), I served it to my eager husband (after taking pictures, of course) with some pretzel chips. My husband LOVED this dip and could not tell that it was “healthy” or lightened up. He was not excited about the substitution of kale, but in the end, he could barely tell the difference. Honestly, if I didn’t tell you there was kale in it, you would never know. It tastes just like your favorite spinach artichoke dip, but with a thicker consistency.

I hope you try this and love it as much as we do!

[yumprint-recipe id=’68’]