Tag Archives: kale

Baby Kale Salad with Strawberry and Avocado

Baby Kale with Strawberry and Avocado

When you live in a temperate climate, this is about the time you start to yearn for change. In this case…spring! Today, there was no sign of it what-so-ever! Outside, dreariness took over the day, until snowflakes decided to fall and blustery wind whipped past. I decided to act like none of this was happening. No, I’m ready for spring. I turned my back to the window, opened the fridge and basically, the ingredients to this salad came out.

If you think you don’t like kale give baby kale a try. Really, the leaves are much more tender, the stalks have just a nice bit of crunch and the flavor is so mild. Kale is truly one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. It’s extremely high in vitamin K, A, C and magnesium. Kale is high in fiber and antioxidants. Combined with sweet and fragrant strawberries, creamy bits of avocado, crunchy and nutty almonds and this simple lemon vinaigrette, you’ll not only feel great about eating so healthy, you’ll feel like spring has sprung!

 

Baby Kale Salad with Strawberry and Avocado

4 C. baby kale
1/2 avocado, cubed
8 large strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted if desired

Dressing
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 T.)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. honey
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

Assemble the salad ingredients up to the strawberries. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over top then sprinkle with the almonds.

This makes two smaller salads or one large salad.

 

Notes:

  • If you enjoy kale, you may also like this Kale and Pear Salad with an Apple Cider and Chia Dressing.

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    16 Bean and Kale Soup

    16 Bean and Kale Soup


    There are some who believe that eating beans on New Year’s Day can bring you good fortune for the year ahead.  Beans are said to represent coins. I can’t promise you will win the lottery this year, but I do know that this soup is really good for you and it tastes really good!

    I had a leftover ham bone from Christmas Eve dinner and used that, but you don’t need a ham bone to make this. You don’t even have to add any ham, but if you want that flavor, you can use a few slices of bacon or cube up some thickly sliced pieces of ham from the deli counter.

    I used dried beans in this recipe, but skip that step if you’d like and use a combination of your favorite canned beans. Just rinse and drain them really well before adding them to the soup.

    16 Bean and Kale Soup

    Preparing the dried beans:
    1 16 oz. package dried 16 Bean mix, rinsed and sorted
    8 C. water
    The Soup:
    1 large onion, chopped
    4 stalks celery, chopped
    4 carrots, sliced
    2 fresh bay leaves
    1 sprig sage leaves
    4 sprigs thyme leaves
    3 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 ham bone
    8 C. water
    salt and pepper to taste
    several large stalks of fresh kale, deveined and chopped
    a few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
    Parmesan
    In a large pot, combine the beans and the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then shut the heat off and allow to sit for one hour.
    Meanwhile, in another large pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrot and the herbs (tie the herbs in a bundle with some twine). After a few minutes, when the onions are softened, add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add the ham bone and cook a few minutes longer.
    Add the water and some salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for one hour or more.
    Once the beans have sat and have softened, drain and rinse them very well in a sieve under cold water and allow them to sit.
    Remove the ham bone from the pot and the herb bundle and discard. Add the beans into the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add more salt and pepper, if it needs it. Then add the kale, parsley and top with some freshly grated Parmesan for serving.

    Notes:

    • When preparing the beans to soften, do not use any salt at all. Salt will make the skins of the beans very tough and unpalatable.
    • If you are not a fan of kale, you can use spinach in its place.

     

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    Kale and Pear Salad

    Kale and Pear Salad
    This salad is kind of a nutritional overachiever. There are so many super-foods incorporated in it, but they are not all there just for the health of it! They all add flavors that compliment each other. It really is a delicious salad, but honestly, it just makes me feel so good that I’ve had a super healthy lunch. In fact, while photographing, I felt the  need to perform some “quality control” and couldn’t stop myself (see photo below). At that point, I just hoped I’d gotten enough photos that I’d be able to use!

    Let me just tell you about some of the powerhouse ingredients in this salad. We’ve all heard a lot about kale lately. It is one of the most nutrient dense foods. It’s incredibly high in Vitamins K, A and C, fiber and antioxidants. It can lower cholesterol, reduce your risk of some cancers and can detox our bodies if eaten regularly. Honestly, there are so many health benefits to eating kale, you can read more about it at WHFoods.

    Then there is the apple cider vinegar. Vinegar a powerhouse? Yes! If you use the raw and unfiltered type. It’s full of beneficial enzymes. I like Bragg’s. You’ve got to try it. It really does have a great, bright and apple-y flavor. You’ll never use any other cider vinegar again. You can find it in the organic section of your local store or on  Bragg’s website.
    I also use chia seeds in this salad dressing. Chia seeds are flavorless, but they absorb a huge amount of liquid and become gelatinous. They are another super-food full of omega-3′s and 6′s, antioxidants and fiber. They are considered even more nutritious than flaxseed. They seem to thicken the dressing just enough to make it adhere much nicer to the greens and they do not alter the flavor at all. I like TruRoots Organic Chia Seeds.

    Apple Cider and Chia Dressing

    Apple Cider and Chia Dressing

    1/3 C. organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
    2/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 t. sea salt
    1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
    2 t. Dijon mustard
    1 t. honey
    1 T. chia seeds
    Combine all ingredients in a cute jar with a tight lid (they don’t get cuter than Bonne Mamman). Shake well.
    This makes a lot of dressing. You’ll love it on any of your green salads!
    Chia Seeds

    Kale and Pear Salad

    1 bunch of kale, washed and stems removed
    1 pear, sliced into segments
    handful of pomegranate arils
    1/4 C. toasted and salted pepitas
    freshly shaved Parmesan
    Apple Cider and Chia Dressing (recipe above)
    After you’ve removed the stems from the kale, soak the leaves in water while you prepare the other ingredients. Soaking revives the leaves making them crisp. When ready, use a salad spinner to get the leaves nice and dry.
    Arrange the salad on individual plates, topping each with about two tablespoons of dressing. Use more or less as you like.

     Notes:

    • Most grocery stores carry a lot of these items in their organic section now, but you can make this salad your own, using just the ingredients you want. The dressing specifically, works with or without the chia seeds.
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