Monday was lost, I considered waiting until Wednesday to post again, but then that is always weigh-in day, which tends to dominate, and people have been so nice and downright enthusiastic about kale and asking for recipes and all, which made me think that Tues. was a good day for a kale salad recipe.
I am not really into following recipes, unless they are for a delicately balanced or very complex dish, and I always assume that no one else is much interested in plain recipes either, but I am finding this is not true. I have had a lot of requests for things to do with kale, and I am about as unqualified in the chef department as you can get, except that I eat a lot of kale. I also serve many foods uncooked, without sauces or dressings, and don't usually include animal products, if I can avoid them, so that makes it pretty simple: pick it, wash it and eat it.
I guess what people want is some combination suggestions, so I will start off with my favorite salad. The amounts are up to you, so you will have to experiment. I usually skip salad dressing because I think green things taste just fine without it, so if you want dressing, I suggest you put your favorite in a small bowl and just dip your fork into it as you eat. Don't pour it on and toss it. Make your own dressing, such as walnut oil and balsamic vinegar or buy one. I don't think it needs to be a diet dressing, and God forbid not a spray- on dressing. Respect your taste buds, please.
If you want to buy your greens in a bag, its OK with me, although some of the better ones won't be found in plastic.
Basic greens, in descending order of volume: Kale, Baby Spinach, Boston or Bib Lettuce, Romaine, and Endive
Kale and Romain have body, Spinach, Bib and Boston are soft, Endive is peppery and has texture.
Do not use Iceberg lettuce. Never ever. No food value and sad.
Embellishments: Broccoli slaw(Buy this in a bag because it is a pain to cut up, even with a food processor,) Green beans, cut up, Snow peas, Broccoli florets (the more broccoli you can work in, the better)Edamame (raw green soy beans - you may have to buy these frozen)Ripe avocado, Red onion, finely chopped, and Slivered raw almonds.
What is excluded: Cheese, (although I love it,) and all dairy, salt and seasonings, Baco-bits, crazins or raisins, croutons unless you make your own without fat or salt, canned and jarred ingredients such as hearts of palm. canned olives (olives preserved in pure olive oil are OK.) "toppings" and ham bits or anything else that didn't grow out of the ground or on a tree. Tomatoes are fine. I just don't like them in salads because I think they upset the green flavor harmonies.
The Fruit controversy: Blue berries are an antioxident superfood, you should eat them as often as possible, and many people include them in salads. My household is divided between the "fruit in a veggie salad is an abomination" and the "huh?" factions. So eat them for breakfast. Think cereal with skim milk and blueberries, then skip the cereal and milk and eat plain, fresh blueberries. Cereal and milk for breakfast are horrible for you. Even worse if you add a banana and think you are dieting. And I love bananas, so don't sic the banana lobby on me.
Put your salad ingredients in the biggest mixing bowl you have, and that's about it. There are many nights I use that much salad for several people as an addition to other foods, and nights like tonight when I am the only one eating it, it's all I eat, and I eat it all.
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