Fruit Beet Kale Salad

I had beets for couple days and needed to get them used. Crunchy! I didn't realize is that they could have benefited from some steaming or microwaving before putting them in a salad. Now I know!

Layer from the bottom up with:

1.25 cups of Kale, ripped up to bite size pieces

2 small beets, peeled and cut up

3/4 of a pear, cored and cut up

1 apricot, cut up (this fruit was a bit bigger than usual)

25 red grapes

1/4 cup of corn kernals

Mix for dressing:

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing (Safeway Select)

Sprinkle around the salad and serve.

Rated a 3.79 on the Kale Scale (because of the uncooked nature of the beets)

Kale Saute

I have several kale recipes to post that I've done over the last couple days. Here is the one for tonight.

Saute:

2 tsp olive oil

2 leeks, white part sliced up

1/4 C onion, chopped

10 grape tomatoes, halved

Add:

2 Tbsp cooking sherry

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp black pepper
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 Tbsp chives, chopped

As this heats up add, cover and wilt:
1 Cup (65 grams) kale, chopped up

Add and scramble:

1 egg beaten with 1 egg white

Serve with 2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Rated a 4.75 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Chicken Tomato Salad #1 and #2

The chicken breast strips in the salads were dusted with spices before putting in the skillet - a bit of each - coriander, cardamon, cinnamon, curry, nutmeg, turmeric, pepper, Mrs Dash; and then some sherry and a splash of pomegranate mango juice before covering to finish cooking.

Salad #1

Layer these ingredients (I made 2 layers):

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

1 fig, chopped

1 nectarine, chopped

12 cherries, pitted and halved

20 grape tomatoes, halved

45 grams of chicken breast strips, diced

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Dress with 2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing (Safeway)

Rated a 4.66 on the Kale Scale.

Salad #2 - a simpler version

Build from bottom up:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

20 grape tomatoes, halved

45 grams of chicken breast strips, diced

2 Tbsp of Annie's Tuscany Salad Dressing (no added sugar)

Rated a 4.667 on the Kale Scale - gets an edge because of ease in prep.

Kale Shake

With so much fresh fruit from the garden, I decided to try a Kale Shake. And it worked! It ain't pretty, but with all the fruit, tastes sweet.

I used my Bamix handmixer to shred up the kale, after I ripped them into smaller pieces. Couple leaves at a time (used 5 leaves, total which equals a cup or more of chopped kale. After I did a couple leaves, I put in a tablespoon of yogurt in and it helped get the kale into tinier pieces.

Use a hand mixer or blender to mix up, and use a big wide straw:

• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/3 C fat-free Dannon yogurt, couple tablespoons at a time
• 10 cherries, pitted and halved
• 15 raspberries
• 5 strawberries
• 3/4 banana
• 2 clementines
• 1/2 cup Soy Slender vanilla soymilk

Rated a 4.64 on the Kale Scale. The rating would have been higher except for the mess it creats in making it!

Top Down Salad

Tired of layering salads, I chose to dump the kale on the bottom and the rest goes on top, no priority order. Worked pretty good as a way to make a salad.

Place in a bowl:

1 cup Chopped kale - bit size pieces
1 pear, chopped
15 strawberries, chopped
1 black velvet apricot, chopped
2 Tbsp oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
1 tsp sesame seeds

Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Laced With Cilantro

This is another layered salad. I made 3 layers with these ingredients.

Layer:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
15 grape tomatoes, whole
3/4 of sweet red pepper, chopped
1 persimmon, peeled and chopped (Hachiya)
9 sprigs of cilantro (cut some with kitchen shears for each layer)
1 bunch green onions, white part sliced, about 1.25 Tbsp worth
1 tsp toasted sesame seed
1.75 Tbsp oil and balsamic vinegar dressing (Safeway Select)

Rated a 4.45 on the Kale Scale.

Kiwi and Kale

The kiwi I used was called a Golden Kiwi (from NZ). The green Castelvetrano Olives olives were fresh, not bottled, and from Whole Foods. They were good ~ might have gone better in a savory salad, yet were ok in this combination.

Layer to make salad (this can make 2 or more layers):

1 Cup kale, ripped into bite size pieces
25 strawberries, halved
1 golden kiwifruit, chopped
1 peach, chopped
10 castelvetrano green olives, pitted, halved

Rated a 4.4 on the Kale Scale.

Watermelon #2

Here is watermelon experiment #2. This is another layered salad.

Layer - create couple layers:

1 cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces
24 strawberries, halved or quarterd
1 fig, chopped up
24 watermelon balls
1 black velvet apricot, chopped up
1.5 Tbsp oil and balsamic vinegar dressing

Rated a 4.4 on the Kale Scale.

Watermelon and Kale experiment 1

I didn't take a picture of this one. Thought about it, but forgot.

Layer the following - create 2-3 layers out of:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

1 pear, chopped up

16 watermelon balls

2 Tbsp oil and balsamic vinegar dressing (Safeway Select)

Rated a 4.3 on the Kale Scale.