Kale salad

Who knew that you could use kale to produce such a fantastic salad?!! I am sure you are looking at this entry and saying to yourself, "yeah right, kale is bitter and gross." But... you would be incorrect. If prepared correctly, it is incredible for your health, and can taste just as wonderful. I first found this recipe in Experience Life Magazine, which is one of my favorite publications right now. I made a few slight changes, which I will of course share. From their recipe, I added less olives and more raisins, but it is up to you as to what works and what flavors get you going!

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, stems removed, cut into small pieces

1/2 lemon- 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 healthy pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup walnuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

Optional:

Fresh shredded basil 

Now, let's look at the culprit before

I tell you what to do with him:

It's a very daunting task to know what to do with kale.

• Toast walnuts (Oven: 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Skillet: med/high heat for 3 min) until slightly browned
• Put chopped kale in a mixing bowl & add the lemon juice by squeezing it from the lemon (the more juice, the tangier it will be), garlic, olive oil, and sea salt. Massage the kale for about a minute in order to soften it.
• Add the walnuts, raisins, olives. You can also add freshly shredded basil here if you so desire. 
• Let the salad rest for about 15 minutes before serving to let the kale soften a bit. 

Don't you LOVE my salad tossers?!

 Some Suggestions:

• Do NOT forget to toast the walnuts. It really isn't the same if you don't.
• Try mixing golden and regular raisins to offer variety.
• I promise sea salt makes a world of difference in this recipe, so don't use kosher salt.
• The smaller you cut the kale, the better. It can certainly be bitter if left too raw, so let the lemon juice and other ingredients take over, and let it cat nap before you divulge. 
• Try using almonds instead of walnuts. 
• Feel free to cut back or go overboard on any of the ingredients according to your mood. Tonight, I added more raisins and cut back on olives. Go for the gold!
• Be sure to read Experience Life Magazine's page on "How to Cook Kale"

 I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I and my dinner guests did. We were quite surprised at how delicious kale can be. I also apologize for the pictures. Something is going on with my camera and it is not quite in focus. But...it will do the trick for tonight!


Happy and healthy eating!

~Linbrooke