Simple Kale Salad

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by...I know it's been a while.

I've been thinking about ways to simplify my cooking while at the same time upping the nutrition of the food I eat. More salads seems like an obvious first place to start. Salads are a quick way to get more fruits and vegetables and preparation can be as easy as chopping and mixing.

This recipe isn't that far off a regular green salad, but I decided to try kale in place of lettuce. The avocado adds calories and creaminess and the raw kale is chewy and soft and really complex in flavour, making this salad substantial and satisfying.



Simple Kale Salad

1 head of organic red kale
1 avocado
1 tomato
1/2 english cucumber
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of one small lemon
sea salt and black pepper

Wash and chop the kale coarsely. Drizzle with lemon juice and set aside for 15 minutes (on the counter, not in the fridge). The acid from the lemon will soften the kale slightly. Chop the remaining vegetables and toss with the kale. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

The bright mosaic cutting board was purchased on a trip to the UK. Ain't she pretty?

Green Salad with Pears and Cranberries

Last fall I re-discovered pears thanks to the gift of a generous gardener. I received a huge basket of them - freshly picked. And after the basket was gone and all throughout the winter, I found myself craving them and seeking them out - forgoing my usual winter fruit choices - apples, bananas and oranges.

This year, I was lucky enough to help pick them.

All this from a single tree...

Aren't they beautiful? I see these and I understand why artists paint still lifes.

I had planned to make a pear tart, thinking that the basket would ripen all at once. But I've had a lovely bunch in my fridge for weeks now and putting one or two out at a time seems to have kept them just perfect for eating.

I decided to use a few in a salad. I wanted a recipe that would benefit from their subtle sweetness. Here's what I came up with:

Green Salad with Pears and Cranberries
Serves 2

Mixed Field Greens (buy a blend or make your own with the following: arugula, radicchio, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, frisee)
2 ripe Bartlett pears
2 Tablespoons of dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons of roasted sunflower seeds
2 slices of dense multi grain bread
2 Tablespoons + 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon whole grain (also called old-fashioned) Dijon mustard
sea salt and black pepper

Step 1: Make Croutons
In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Cut bread into cubes and grill over low heat until the oil is absorbed and the cubes are browned and crisp.

Step 2: Make Dressing
In a small bowl combine remaining oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Prepare fruits and vegetables
Wash and dry greens and tear into pieces. Wash and core the pears. If the skins are a bit tough, you can peel them. Then slice them into wedges.

Step 4: Toss
Just before serving, gently toss everything together in a large bowl. Add the croutons just before tossing with the dressing so they stay crisp. Be careful not to crush the pears. Adjust seasoning and serve at room temperature.

I realize in this photo you can't see the pears very well, but they're in there!

Broccoli and Chickpea Salad

Salads to the Rescue...

Summer's here and I'm officially done with soups and stews until the fall. When it's warm I crave fresh fruits and vegetables more than ever. And without air conditioning, turning on the gas stove for more than about 5 minutes at a time is out of the question. This salad is easy and fast and cool.


Broccoli and Chickpea Salad

1 head of broccoli, (crowns only) chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can of chickpeas
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Steam broccoli until tender crisp. Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Toss all ingredients and serve at room temperature.

Spring Roll Salad

The things we do for food...

There is something so fresh tasting about cold spring rolls. And there's something very addictive about peanut sauce. Together, they're great as a no-cook summer dinner. In fact, we like them so much, we once drove around town for 5 hours looking for rice paper. That's how determined we were to make them.

So, I had the bright idea of throwing all the ingredients together in a salad - the veggies, the wrapping and the sauce.

It's delicious and very filling. Be careful. I may have eaten too much.


Spring Roll Salad
Serves 4

1 package rice noodles
2 carrots
1/2 cucumber
1/2 red pepper
2 green onions

Dressing:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (peanuts only!)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of chopped ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
red pepper flakes to taste
sea salt
dash of sesame oil
dried basil leaves (fresh if you have it)

Soak noodles completely in boiling water for 15 minutes until soft and then rinse in cold water. Set aside.

Grate carrots, chop green onions, slice cucumber and red peppers.

To make dressing, put all remaining ingredients except basil and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well. Heat in a saucepan on low, or microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes, until well combined.

Add veggies and dressing to noodles in a large bowl and toss well. Drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and basil and toss again. Chill and serve.