Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 20minutes mins

Cook Time: 10minutes mins

Total Time: 30minutes mins

Serves 4 to 6

Author: Love and Lemons

This kale Caesar salad recipe is an easy, delicious side dish or healthy lunch! You have two options for the dressing. One is vegan, and it's made in a blender with a cashew base. The other has a Greek yogurt base, and it's easy to stir together by hand. Both are creamy, tangy, and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

• Sea salt

• 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce

• Healthy Caesar Dressing or Vegan Caesar Dressing,

• 1 cup Homemade Croutons

• Shaved Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan

• Roasted chickpeas, optional

• 1 avocado, diced, optional

Instructions

• Tear the kale into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they wilt.

• Add the romaine and toss. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss again.

• Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the croutons and Parmesan. Add more dressing, roasted chickpeas, and avocado, if desired, and serve.

Spicy Jalapeño Cabbage Slaw

One of your fellow CSA members (Thanks Lynn!) shared this recipe, and it is a good one (and oh so simple). . . 

Spicy Jalapeño Cabbage Slaw 

1 small head green cabbage, outer leaves removed, shredded (about 1½ pounds)

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 large jalapeño, seeded if desired, thinly sliced

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Black pepper

Combine cabbage, onion and jalapeño in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add dressing to cabbage and toss well.

Credits:  NYT "Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Spicy Jalapeno Slaw" by Melissa Clark

Lacinato Kale & Thai Basil With Spicy Peanut (or Tahini) Dressing

Lacinato Kale & Thai Basil With Spicy Peanut (or Tahini )Dressing

We've adapted this recipe from Food52. We've substituted the mint for Thai Basil and it us YUMMY. If you have some fresh mint around, add some of that too!

Serves:4 as side/2 as main                    Prep Time:    10 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Lacinato kale and Thai Basil Salad

• 1 bunch (large) lacinato kale, chopped very small, almost minced

• 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves and flowers (discard any woody stems) and/or fresh mint, minced

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

For the spicy peanut dressing

• 3 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter (sub tahini for peanut allergies)

• 3 tablespoon warm water

• 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or maple syrup)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon dried red chili flak

WHAT: This salad has it all: sturdy greens that won't wilt, and a spicy peanut dressing that'll steal the show.
HOW: Chop kale, mix dressing, and toss.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Sure, we've seen kale salads in countless iterations, but this spicy, peanutty dressing lets us see the green through a different lens. Plus, the salad will hold up well in the fridge, making it a great dish for summer entertaining.

Directions

Instructions

• Step 1

  Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and the walnuts together. If you haven't made the dressing yet, do that next.

• Step 2

  Put the peanut butter, warm water, garlic, rice wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, soy sauce, minced ginger, sesame oil and red chili flakes into a blender and whirl away at high speed until everything is smooth.

• Step 3

  Toss the dressing with the salad. Maybe not all at one time. Pour and toss about half of the dressing and then decide if it needs more.

Easy Steamed Beets

Easy Steamed Beets ,

Author: the Natural Nurturer

I do not love turning on the oven in the heat of summer, so steaming beets is the perfect way to cook them quickly, make peeling a breeze, and leaves them oh so tasty and versatile for a variety of dishes, especially salads. 
If you haven't tried this yet, I think you'll love it. Our kids love steamed beets!

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