Pumpkin & Pomegranate

A little housekeeping note. I am going to start replying to most of the comments in the comment section rather than e-mailing everyone separately. I will still do that from time to time too, but often the reply is something that others might benefit from, so don’t think I ignored you if you don’t get an e-mail back! Just check back with the comments :-)

Last Friday Matt spent the night at my place. Something that has only happened once in our year and a half relationship, and all because of my shared living accommodations. I wanted to do something special for dinner that night, so I began planning early in the day. I have never craved a kale salad, and honestly I haven’t had an actual salad in a while as it is hard for me to crave cold greens when it is chilly outside, but there you have it. I started thinking about this kale salad I had in Houston over Easter. I decided to take inspiration, but to go in another direction entirely. What I came up with is an epic kale salad. A salad I would serve in a restaurant, a salad I could easily CRAVE. And that says a lot considering I am not one for raw kale.  The components took a little while to get ready, but it was worth it. I made enough in this recipe for 2 with ample leftovers, or 4 as a dinner salad…maybe more. I can eat a lot of salad. Matt and I made this the main part of our dinner, with the addition of some sweet potato “fries” baked with a nut butter mixture, and I had another serving of salad the next day for dinner too.

The Rocksalmic vinegar comes from Rockridge Orchards and is made much like Balsamic vinegar. the main difference is that it is made from apple cider vinegar. It is sweet, tangy, and delicious. I bought a bottle a couple of weeks ago, and I am a little afraid they will run out of this fabulous stuff before I can stock up on more!

Kale salad with Roasted Beets and Caramelized Shallots

Epic Kale Salad

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• 3/4 C. Raw walnuts
• 1/4 C. Fig preserves (I just boiled down some figs, no sugar needed!)
• 1/4 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/8 C. Rocksalmic Vinegar (Balsamic will also work)
• 1/2 Granny Smith Apple
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• Sea Salt to taste

For the salad:

• 3 Large Beets, cubed and roasted until tender and cooled
• Olive Oil or Virgin Coconut Oil
• Rocksalmic Vinegar (or Balsamic)
• 2-3 large shallot2, sliced
• 2 Large Bunches kale, cleaned & de-ribbed

Method:

For the dressing:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. I did mine in the Vita-Mix and it had a whipped consistency that was heavenly.

For the Salad:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan caramelize the sliced shallots in a little oil. Right before they are done add a couple of tablespoons of the Rocksalmic vinegar and stir until the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
2. Chiffonade the kale and put into a very large bowl. Use your hands to toss the kale with the dressing. You might not need all the dressing, add a little at first and continue to add as needed. Work the dressing into the kale leaves to soften them. Add the shredded apple and toss together.
3. When you plate the salad top each serving with some of the roasted beets and the caramelized shallots.