Hardy Spring Salad

When fresh greens come, they really come! Not complain’….just say’n. For me, I so enjoy a fresh salad on a warm spring day. Having picked a bucket full of spinach and kale, I needed to find ways to use them. After all, who wants the fruits of their labor to go into the compost? Not me!

The inspiration for this salad came while out and about and stopping for some dinner. Eating out is a treat, especially if I really enjoy the experience and the food. Many times, I try to duplicate it once I’m home because I enjoyed it so much I wanted to have those flavors again. This recipe is definitely different, but delicious, nevertheless. Let me know if you like it.

Hardy Spring Salad 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup organic black lentils

• ½ cup organic quinoa

• 1 ½ cups water

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 cups chopped kale and spinach

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Feta cheese

• Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

 Directions:

1. Add 1 ½ cups water and salt along with lentils into a medium pot.  Cook on medium until just boiling.  Reduce heat.  Cook for 10 minutes, then add quinoa. Continue cooking until lentils and quinoa are tender, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed

2. While lentils are cooking, chop kale and spinach into small pieces, set aside.

3. Chop onion and tomato, set aside.

4. Remove lentils and quinoa from the pot and add to a large salad bowl.

5. Add 4-5 TBSP dressing (see below), mixing well.  Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.

6. Drain and rinse chickpeas.

7. Assemble salad into a large bowl from bottom to the top as follows:

   a.     Lentils and quinoa

   b.     Kale and spinach

   c.     Chickpeas

   d.     Onion and tomato

   e.     Cilantro & Feta

8. Sprinkle dressing over salad, keeping some to add to preferred taste

9. Serve immediately.  Left overs will keep for 2-3 days.

Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ balsamic vinegar

• 2 TBSP mustard

• 2 TBSP honey

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and serve.

Kale Chips

Sometimes it’s nice to eat something crunchy….after all, we do have teeth. And sometimes a carrot or celery stick just won’t cut it. My spurge is organic corn chips. Yeah, I know, not the best choice, but I’m working on it. Recently, during a conversation about food, I was reminded about kale chips. It’s been a while since I made them, and I forgot how good they are, plus it’s easy! Looking at a bunch of kale in the grocery store seems like a lot of kale to eat, but once it’s baked, it’s amazing how quickly they shrink down and eaten.

Kale is in the cruciferous family along with broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods to consume, meaning with all the vitamins and minerals it contains, it has very few calories. Eating kale on a regular basis can help reduce cholesterol levels and heart disease. This is a quick and easy snack to enjoy anytime. You can eat them alone or add them to a salad for a little extra crunch. When storing left overs (if there are any) they may lose some of their crunch, but can be rejuvenated by simply placing them back in the oven for a few minutes on broil.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• Large bunch of kale

• 1-2 TBSP avocado oil

• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. Remove leaves from the stem. Place on a cutting board and cut leaves in to 2-3 inch pieces.

2. Place leaves in a large bowl. Add oil and salt.

3. On a large cookie sheet, lay out the kale in a single layer.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to keep kale from burning.

Autumn Bowl

The fall season brings back those cool-loving vegetables of spring, kale being one of them. This bowl screams fall with the rich colors of green, yellow, and orange. The recipe calls for a baked sweet potato. One thought is to cook once, eat twice. Why not bake a few sweet potatoes, since they are in season, and enjoy them on multiple days? I often will top my baked sweet potato with chili to get even more vegetables inside. Use the remaining potato for this bowl. Kale holds up really well making any leftovers a great lunch for the next day. This is a nutrient dense salad loaded with Vitamins A, K, C, B, and D, plus calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Don’t forget to prepare your rice or quinoa with kombu to get the most from your grains. Kombu is a sea vegetable rich in iodine. Even if you don’t enjoy the taste of sea vegetables, cooking them with grains is a great way to get the nutrient benefits without the sea flavor. Simply discard the kombu once the grains are done.

Autumn Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice or quinoa

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups water

• 3 TBSP sesame oil

• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and dried 

• 1 large baked sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks 

• 2 TBSP Braggs aminos or soy sauce

• 4-5 cups kale chopped

• 1 lemon freshly juiced

• sunflower seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water or 1 cup rice and 2 cups water in pot along with a thumb sized piece of kombu, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid has been absorbed. Turn off heat, discard kombu, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chickpeas, frying chickpeas for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add sweet potatoes to skillet, continue to cook until sweet potato and chickpeas are golden brown. Add Braggs aminos or soy sauce, stir and cook until caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

4. In a large serving bowl, massage kale with lemon juice and 1 Tbsp sesame oil until tender. To assemble bowl, place kale in a bowl, top with rice or quiona and chickpea-sweet potato mixture. Top with sunflowers. Enjoy hot or cold.

Sweet Potato Chowder

Sweet potatoes are so delicious and provide 377% of the daily recommended Vitamin A. For those of us who try to abstain from added sugars, this vegetable is a treat, as the natural sweetness satisfies those hankerings. I still don’t understand why people put brown sugar on their sweet potato and sour cream on the white potato. These are the thoughts that run through my brain.

This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and warmed when ready to serve. I also added the recipe for kale chips. With a creamy soup, it’s nice to have something crispy on the side.  Kale is a part of the crucifer family along with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts. Loaded with Vitamins A, K and C, kale chips are a nutrient dense choice over potato chips or saltine crackers.

Sweet Potato Chowder

 Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 TBSP curry powder

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 TBPS olive oil

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 6 sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cubed

• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• Pumpkin seeds for garnish

Directions: 

1. Sauté onion, curry powder, garlic and oil in a big pot for 5 min.

2. Add sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and vegetable broth.

3. Simmer on medium/low for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Use a hand blender to carefully puree the whole pot while hot. 

4. Add a little more broth or coconut milk if it seems too thick. The soup can be made a day or 2 ahead and simply reheat.

Crispy Kale

 Ingredients:

• A bunch of kale cut into 1-inch pieces with thick stems removed

• 2 TBSP olive oil

• Cayenne pepper, to taste

• Salt, to taste

 Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until coated.

2. Spread the kale out on 2 baking sheets.  The less the pieces overlap the crunchier the kale will be.  

3. Roast at 425 degrees for about 5-8 minutes or until bright green with charred tips.

adapted from The Forest Feast Gatherings by Erin Gleason

Kale Salad I

Kale is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It's part of the cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Look what a single cup of kale can provide for your body....

• Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene).
• Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA.
• Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 26% of the RDA.
• Calcium: 9% of the RDA.
• Copper: 10% of the RDA.
• Potassium: 9% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 6% of the RDA.
• Then it contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus.

This is coming with a total of 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein.

Kale contains very little fat, but a large portion of the fat in it is the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid.

By they way...did you notice how much Vitamin C kale contains? Skip the orange juice and eat kale to keep those winter colds away!

Here is an easy, clean salad to keep on hand. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Kale Salad I

• A large bunch of kale, stalks removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• grated ginger root, to taste
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• juice from a lemon
• juice from a lime
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, massage all ingredients together until kale is broken down and contents are well blended. Refrigerate or eat immediately. Enjoy!

Confetti Kale Slaw

Here is a different twist on a summer salad that's not heavy in mayo and sugar.  This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant, which is known to use fresh, local products in the town in which they reside, Ithaca, New York. The dressing in this particular salad is light with a nice mix of both sweet and tangy flavors. Colorful and fresh, it's sure to be a hit. This slaw is excellent beside a main dish that is rich and cheesy or paired with something spicy.

Confetti Kale Slaw

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large firm apple, shredded (about 1-2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded green or red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup minced celery
• 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 3 cups shredded kale, packed

Directions:

1. To make the dressing: whisk together the orange and lemon juice, vinegar, olive, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 
2. Prepare the apple and vegetables and place them in the bowl as you go: peel or don't peel the apple but shred it with a large-holed hand grater. To prevent the apples from during brown, toss them well with the dressing. Thinly slice the cabbage and then cut across the slices about every inch. Peel the carrots and shred on the large-holed side of the hand grater. Mince the celery. Mince the scallions. 
3. To shred the kale: rinse the kale leaves and shake off excess water. Strip the leaves from the large stems and pile on a chopping board. Gather the kale into a compact mass and thinly slice it. Then cut down across the slices, chopping the kale into 1- to 2- inches. Add the shredded kale to the bowl and toss well. 
4. Delicious served right away, but the sweetness intensifies as it sits. This slaw will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup

While both lentils and chickpeas are a good source of protein, the sweet potatoes provide a soft texture and flavor. Kale provides fiber, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C. The use of an immersion blender provide creaminess without the use of dairy. Serve with a salad or sandwich for a complete meal.

Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup

• 1 container (32 ounce) vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup lentils
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, pour in the container of vegetable broth; cook on medium.
2. Add lentils, sweet potatoes, and onions and cook until potatoes are soft.
3. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil.
4. Using an immersion blender, pulse 5-6 times or until half the soup is blended. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour half the soup into an electric blender and pulse until smooth.  Pour contents back into pot.
5. Add kale and cook an additional 15 minutes or until kale is tender.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into bowls and enjoy!