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
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
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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