You know what I love? Salads. Seriously. They’re kind of my jam. Especially with the flu going around and me, sitting over here, trying not to catch this death plague. I love having something quick and easy on hand. Most of this stuff, I have already prepped in my fridge and just grab bags of my pre-chopped veggies. I’m a HUGE advocate of finely chopped salads. You don’t believe me, try this. I’ll convert people to texture eaters one at a time. Salads, especially, when everything is chopped to the same size, just makes it 110% better. Plus, you get the perfect amount of dressing coverage on each and every bite. Trust me. Follow this recipe and enjoy the magic.
Also, I use toasted nuts (I did a combo of pecans and slivered almonds) for this salad which I allwayss have on hand. I literally buy the huuge 10 lb bag of pecans from Costco, toast them up with a little butter, salt, pepper, cayenne, and a dash on 100% maple syrup and keep them in my fridge. I eat them on ice cream, salads, and frankly.. just snack on them almost every day. I’m eventually going to share my favorite way to eat ice cream, but I can’t justify eating that much ice cream when it’s still snowing outside. There’s something inherently wrong with that lol. Spring will come around and some salted caramel pecan sundaes are coming your way. You just wait. And again, when making this salad, make sure you chop everything finely, that is the key to success! It also helps make the kale not so ‘fibery’ as my husband calls it.It becomes velvety and delicious. Almost like you massaged all those yummy kale leaves. The best thing is that this holds up for leftovers, unlike other lettuces, kale has a great hearty body and doesn’t wilt terribly after being dressed. So kale salad leftovers for me tomorrow, score!
Recipe:
1 lb bag of chopped kale (chop this very thin into ‘slivers’)
2 large heads of broccoli, about 3 cups, chopped very fine
1 bunch of scallion, chopped very fine
1 cup dried cranberries and/or cherries (I like cherry juice infused Crasians)
1 cup chopped toasted nuts of your choice (I like pecans and slivered almonds)
1 cup sharp white cheddar shredded (feta is also a delicious alternative)
Dressing:
Juice of 1 large lemon
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup (please, please, please, don’t use that corn syrup crap)
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp of paprika
½ tsp of garlic powder (or if you’re like more and like breathing garlic fire, more)
Dash of cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Finally chop kale, broccoli, and scallions, and add to large salad bowl. Top with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and cheese.
Mix together all dressing ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Pour over salad, toss, and enjoy.
And yes, you can thank me when you get to eat leftovers of this tomorrow.If there are leftovers. I mean… I can house a good bowl of this by myself. Until next time!
