Kale Salad

Kale isn't just for adding to other dishes and roasting. It makes a great salad green. The leaves are really dense and it holds up to refrigeration very well. It won't wilt as quickly as other salad greens. The trick to making it work for you is adding and acid (like a lemon vinaigrette) and letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours. 


The leaves will become slighly more tender and turn the most amazing shade of green. 


I use it to top my sandwiches or just when I want something easy and green on the plate.


Here it is on a roasted fish summer sandwich...

Here's a picture of the kale salad after is sits overnight...

And here's a picture of my Greek Tuna Salad Sandwich...

Ready?


Kale Salad


1 Bunch of Kale, stems removed and chopped into 1" pieces
Juice of 1 Lemon
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper 


Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour on top of the chopped kale and stir well to cover as much of the leaves as you can. After a few minutes you'll start to see the leaf texture change a bit. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or over night and use as a side or to top sandwiches.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Capers

I picked up a package of pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower today. 


Why? 


I was feeling rebellious. 


It's usually the most over-cooked and least desirable vegetable combination. I thought I'd try to jazz it up a bit. It's not like I could screw it up more than countless restaurants serving it as a side dish.  Not only is it super good for you, it's cheap and holds up well in the fridge. I really want to like it and restaurants have really ruined it for me. 


This had a lot of flavor and the lemon and capers added a lot of brightness. Yay, me.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower


1 Package of Raw Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tsp Capers
Salt and Pepper


Break any over-sized florets in half to get everything close to a uniform size. Toss vegetables with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss onto roasting pan and roast at 375 for about 25 minutes. Add the capers, stir and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. You want to see some browning on a few of the veggie edges. If it gets to brown it gets dry and bitter so be careful not to overcook.


Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon juice and zest of 1/2 lemon and toss. Taste and add more salt as needed. The capers and lemon add a lot of flavor so salt sparingly when you mix it together. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the top and serve. 


Voila!


Super easy. 

I've seen Harry's Farmer's Market featured on cooking shows filmed around Atlanta but I've never been. This morning I was running a relative to the burbs and I couldn't resist stopping for some goodies.


Interesting fact: Harry's Farmers Market is actually a Whole Foods. Weird, no? I didn't realize it until I walked inside. Sadly, unlike the Whole Foods near me this one does not allow you to walk around drinking a beer. Darn suburbs. It was also 11am so we'll let it slide.

Non-Dairy Cole Slaw

This is a quick and easy cole slaw recipe. It's super fast and cheap to make. This cole slaw travels much safer than the mayo (dairy) containing recipes. This makes a great side dish and won't add many calories to the meal. It's great to mix up Sunday evening and have for sides for the rest of the week. I like the cole slaw mix with the red cabbage and carrots mixed in but get what you like.

"In its raw state, cabbage contains iron, calcium, and potassium. High marks are given for its vitamin C content. Cabbage is also high in vitamins B1, B2, and B3. Lengthy cooking tends to lower the nutritional value considerably. "

Prep time: Less than 5 min.
Cook time: None

2-3 tbsp on Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tbsp of champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2c fresh dill-roll it up and rough chop it
1 bag of pre-shredded cole slaw mix from produce section
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp celery seeds

Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and dill to bowl. Dump the cabbage on top and toss with your hands to distribute the dill and liquid.

Cover tightly and refridgerate. Can be served immediately but flavors are better after a little time.