I reach for kale when I’m looking to infuse my body with nutrient-rich green food.
Raw kale is kind of bitter, so the trick to getting rid of the bitterness is to massage the leaves with your fingers.
First, I rip the leaves into small pieces and place them in a bowl as I go, directly off of the stalk. I discard the stalks. Then, I massage all the pieces with my hands for about a minute or so. They’ll get softer and lose a little bit of their firmness and bite.
Finally, tossing the kale in a creamy dressing and topping with some flavorful protein helps soften the kale as well. My favorite is blacked salmon.
Some topping ideas…
- grilled or roasted chicken
- blacked salmon
- shaved Parmesan cheese
- Parmesan croutons
Kale Salad
Yield 4 servings
I usually mix other greens with the kale, but it's totally up to you. I like the mixture of tender and tougher greens.
I didn't have time to make croutons, but you can use your favorite grain-free bread to make croutons, or try my Parmesan croutons recipe. To make croutons from bread, slice the bread into cubes, brush lightly with oil, salt, and garlic powder, and bake for a few minutes at 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 2 bunches of Dinosaur kale (Lacinato, or other kale)
- handful tender greens or shredded romaine lettuce
- blacked salmon
- Parmesan cheese for shaving
- slices of lemon
- Caesar dressing (below)
Instructions
- Prepare the kale by ripping it into small pieces, and massaging it for a minute or so to soften it and cut the bite.
- Place the kale in a large bowl and toss with a few tablespoons of Casear dressing. Evenly coat all the greens lightly. Add more dressing as necessary.
- Top with blackened salmon, shaved Parmesan, and a slice of lemon. Drizzle lemon as desired.
Casear Dressing
Yield 4 servings
When I don't have anchovy paste, I add a pinch or two of salt, or a teaspoon of capers to give it a briny flavor.
I also like to add more lemon juice to my dressing, up to 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Up to you though. Some like their dressing milder.
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup graded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 anchovy fillet
- 1/2 cup oil (mild-flavored olive oil or sunflower oil)
Instructions
- Add the egg yolk, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, and anchovy paste to a food processor or blender, and pulse for a minute to blend the ingredients.
- Keep the food processor or blender running, and slowly drizzle the olive oil in to emulsify it into the mixture. This will create a thick, creamy dressing. Stop once it is still pourable.
- Toss the dressing with the kale leaves until they are evenly coated.
- Store the dressing in a cool place for a few days, or in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Bring to room temperature before using again.
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