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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Summer Kale Salad!

Kale Salad

Hello Dearies!

I have been very busy this week entertaining and such, however, I wanted to quickly share this salad with you. I know it is just a salad and we all know how to make one, but this is a special salad. Not in the sense of it being close to my heart or anything (smile), but in the sense of dense nutrition along with fresh deliciousness. Who could ask for more in a salad?

If you are not familiar with Kale, it is a member of the cabbage family believed to be a more original version of the plant meaning it has been less genetically tampered with by human farming methods. Some nutritionists and even cancer experts also consider kale to be a miracle food not only for its super high levels of vitamin K, C, & A (Beta Carotene), but also for its high levels of glucosinolates. These are cancer fighting compounds like the notorious sulforaphane, which are found to be plentiful in kale!



















If the cancer fighting benefits aren't enough to sell you on Kale, know that Vitamin K is extremely important for proper skin health and healing. So this is one of those foods that make you glow being that a cup of boiled kale has 1,327.6%* of what your daily intake for vitamin K should be...

Wilted Kale Salad
4 1/2-5 Cups of Chopped/Sliced Thin, Organic Kale
1 Small Carrot (grated)
1/4 Cup Thin Sliced Red Onion
1 Garlic Clove (minced)
1/2-3/4 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste*
Sliced Cucumber for garnish (as pictured)

*Make sure to use enough salt to cut the vinegar. I start with 1/8 tsp. and move up as needed.

Cut the stems of the kale out of the middle of the leaf with a sharp knife. Slice the kale as you like and then place it in the strainer of a salad spinner and rinse a few times. Spin to remove excess water. Place the dry, chopped kale and the other ingredients in a bowl and mix. Store in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to a few hours before eating.
If you want a truly wilted salad, cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours being sure to stir the salad from time to time in order to distribute vinaigrette evenly.




















p.s. Kale can be really sandy and dirty, Dearies, so be sure to wash well and dry properly before making your salad...
*See more nutritional info on kale here at www.whfoods.com/.

47 comments:

  1. Lovely salad! I adore kale. I could (and do!) eat it every day when it's really going crazy in my garden.

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  2. Looks wonderful, Stella! I adore kale. :)

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  3. THAT SALAD looks delicious. When I buy kale, I usually consider it MEDICINE, but I don't particular love to eat it. I bet yours tastes good. Can I hire you?

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  4. A healthy and delicious salad, kale is such a great ingredient!

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  5. Hi Stella
    all these years I have used Kale to decorate, not once thinking about eating it....thanks so much for the wake up call...lol....it is definitely going in my next salad!

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  6. Believe it or not Stella, but I have never tried kale before and have no clue what it tastes like. My family is used to buying a lot of the Chinese veggies so my mom doesn't cook with kale much. I actually don't even know if people cook kale. I've mostly seen it used in salads. This is definitely on my list of foods to try. Your salad is beautifully presented as with all of your other creations. Thanks for sharing the health benefits with us Stella. Enjoy entertaining.

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  7. This is amazingly simple to prepare. I have all the ingredients on hand and will make this dish tomorrow when I receive kale from my local CSA. Thanks!

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  8. Stella, So happy to find your recipe! I have a ton of kale growing in the garden and had absolutely no idea what I would do with it!
    Thanks for the kind comments on my post!
    Gypsy

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  9. Very colorful and vibrant!

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  10. I love kale! This sounds like a simple yet nutritious and YUMMy salad! Btw yeah we have our own set of fruits here in nz, like kiwifruits (golden and the normal one), nectarines, plums, apples, peaches, apricots, passionfruit etc. but I always seem to find myself craving for tropical fruits like yellow mangoes, papayas, lychees etc. Which are all somewhat rare and very expensive here! one yellow australian mango sells between $5-$7 each here:(

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  11. Hi Stella
    Many thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe salad with us. Lovely colours ♥

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  12. I ♥ kale too! This looks like a beautiful bounty of colours and flavours. Have fun entertaining, I have a feeling that everyone will be well fed. :)

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  13. omg 1,327% of vitamin K!? man, I need to eat it more often. I like Kale but somehow It doesn't appear much in my menu anymore. Time to re-bring it!

    I give you an award on my blog, Stella. Feel free to come grab it!

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  14. I just love Kale salad, Stella and the sesame oil is a wonderful addition... also, may I say.. the pics are really spectacular... very sexy ribbon for a healthy salad!!!

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  15. i have recently introduced my family to kale and we are really enjoying it very much, i love that you always great health info with each post, lovely salad..

    ps. please do not worry about missed post, your mom was visiting enjoy time with her, blog posts will always be there, family first, i hope you had a great time with your mom

    sweetlfe

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  16. love kale! ill for sure be making this!

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  17. I miss Kale so much! I think when raw, it might taste like Watercress - usually giving a bitter aftertaste.

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  18. I can't find it here in my place. :(

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  19. Hi Stella, I had creamed Kale or Kale soup or even smothered Kale before. I never had it uncooked,like your recipe here. I cannot wait to try them. The salad looks beautiful and healthy. I always like your presentation.

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  20. I've never had kale but having eaten tons of Chinese kale in my lifetime, I'm pretty sure I would love kale as well.

    The salad looks gorgeous and your photography is as always, beautiful!

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  21. I never had raw kale, always cooked it. Now I am intrigued by this salad. I think it gets wilted by the seasoning, right? I love all kinds of salads and this one seems particularly delicious! perfect for summer!

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  22. I made a kale salad last year for some contest or another. It was good but I like yours better. I love that you wilted it first. I need to get back to eating more greens. They are so stinkin' healthy!

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  23. Never tried kale either! this salad looks delicious and healthy :-)

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  24. The first time I used Kale...I didn't realize I had to cut the stem out...hence, I started using it only as food presentation prop. Then, one day I was properly informed and have now integrated it in my cooking. You can also try baking these to crisps into the oven...sprinkled with sea salt and a drizzle of maple syrup...yummy;o)
    Salads are a great healthy go to meal...especially when not too much time can be spent in your kitchen ;o)
    Flavourful wishes, Claudia

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  25. I love kale, Stella, but must admit I usually cook it some way or another.
    I LOVE that you have used it in a salad! Going to try this recipe ASAP! It's soooo good for us!

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  26. I am intrigued by your salad Stella, I've always eaten kale cooked and most recently I tried it oven roasted which was delicious! I like the very healthy aspect of this salad and I will try it soon as I have a large bunch of kale in the fridge right now. Thanks for sharing a simple and healthy salad, I appreciate it!

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  27. Stella, I adore kale! We don't generally use it in salad, but I love adding it to soups and other dishes calling for greens. I really should try it in salad, so thanks for the reminder!

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  28. Thanks for the salad recipe! Kale is one of thhose veggies that gets forgotten outside of the health foodie world! I'm not a huge fan but the nutritional benefits make it worth trying!

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  29. I LOVE LOVE LOVE kale. It is my favorite leafy green. Love the chewiness and heartiness of it. My friend made a very similar salad for a dinner party we just had and it was awesome. Your version looks super yummy too!

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  30. I have usually cooked my kale in some form or another. I love the idea of trying it in a salad. We needed you to pave the way. That stuff is so dang healthy. It's like a big ol' green vitamin! Another awesome post!

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  31. I love kale too. I substitute it for spinach in a lot of recipes. And I love them in burritos. I'm going to try to grow some in my garden this year.

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  32. hmmm... interesting. i always assumed raw kale would tickle my tongue with its funky texture. try a bite of leafy green salad with feta and sliced fresh peaches! or even kiwi!!! these two choices our new favs! but kiwi gets my vote. something about it with leafy greens (and sometimes a sprinkle of walnuts) makes it delicious.

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  33. I always thought Kale was too tough for a salad.... but, if shredded - maybe it works! The recipe looks YUMMY.... love fresh and green and SALADS!
    :)
    Valerie

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  34. Fresh, healthy and delicious!

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  35. I love kale, but never have it in salads like this. I bet it's great with that mix of seasonings and flavors!

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  36. I know I'm posting the Tres Leche COMMENT in the Kale salad section, but wanted all to know how delicious and EASY this cake is! -- and I didn't want it to be missed since the TRES LECHES recipe was posted some days ago! I made it last night; actually, I thought it'd have more steps, but so straightforward and easy. Just must have remember the eve before to put the coconut milk in the fridge!! THANK YOU!

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  37. oooh I love Kale but never had it in a salad.

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  38. Fantastic salad. Kale is one of my favorite greens. I make some great soups with it. Love the nutritional info.

    However, no reason to take a shot at me by praising Nancy's choice of font. What, mine is no good?! Harsh!

    Be well

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  39. Dear Stella - I absolutely adore Kale but would never have thought to eat it raw or in a salad.

    Thanks for this new refreshing take :)

    Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

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  40. For some reason, I've always thought that kale was bitter and tough. But perfect skin has always been an unattainable dream, so maybe I should give kale a chance. Your salad looks absolutely crisp and good-for-you!

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  41. I've always eaten Kale cooked, but now I think I will try this raw! Looks great!

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  42. I have never had kale, and I was under the impression that it was too bitter for a salad. Your salad looks delicious and next time I will try to fix kale this way.

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  43. I never had kale salad...this looks simply scrumptious.

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  44. I am a big kale fan! I've never had it like this so thank you for the idea!

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  45. Hi Stella - long time no visit *kisses on cheeks*.
    I've only ever had Kale Chips (deep fried kale) and I loved it then. Why not in salad? I'll definitely have to give this salad a go, if not buy more kale because i'm all about nutrition and giving my body good eats :)

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  46. Hi there - just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed this salad! The flavors were great & I'll definitely be making again... lots! Thanks for sharing!

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Please do comment, Dearies!