Pear and Bacon Kale Salad

The bacon was actually 'fake bacon' or Morningstar veggie strips. While the salad was filling, it was not my favorite. It might have been better with real bacon bits!

Steam in microwave
1+ cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces

Add to the kale, toss or layer
1 pear, cored and cut up
7 fake bacon strips, crumbled
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.3 on the Kale Scale.

Fresh Corn Kale Salad with Figs

Had a couple things on hand which prompted this salad.

Cook an ear of corn 

I used the microwave - 4 minutes
Cut the kernels off the cob, and mix with 2 tsp of butter and 1/2 tsp of black pepper.

Mix ingredients, toss, layer - whatever - to make salad

1+ cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
10 tomatoes, grape size, halved
Prepared kernels from the corn
2 figs, peeled, and sliced
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)

Serve and enjoy!


Rated a 4.65 on the Kale Scale.

Watermelon Pineapple Kale Salad Dusted with Nutmeg

I really liked the addition of nutmeg with this salad. It helped tie the flavors together. Very good!

Toss these ingredients:

25 watermelon balls
2/3 cup pineapple, raw, cut up small
1 oz cheese, extra sharp white cheddar
1.25 cups kale, ripped to bite size pieces
4 tsp Tangerine Vinaigrette (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Serve and enjoy!

Rated a 4.74 on the Kale Scale. 

Watermelon Kale Salad with Grapes and Cheese

A salad for summer - deeelicious!

Layer, toss or mix as desired

1.5 cups of Kale
30 grapes, halved
25 watermelon balls
1.5 oz of sharp white cheddar cheese, diced (Tillamook)

Drizzle with

4 tsp of Tangerine Vinaigrette  Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)



Rated a 4.75 on the Kale Scale.

Pear with Gouda Kale Salad

A simple side salad for my salmon dinner.  The salad was delicious!

Mix, toss, layer - make a salad with:

1+ C   kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1   red pear, cored, cut up (keep the peel on)
1 oz   smoked gouda cheese, diced
9 sprigs  cilantro

Serve with:

2 Tbsp  Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.68 on the Kale Scale.

Chicken Salad Kale

Simple, if you have the chicken ready. I had made up pound chicken thin breast fillets a couple days ago - dredged with buttermilk, almond meal, wheat germ and spices chili powder, coriander, ras el hanout. Yum!

Layer or toss to make salad:

1+ cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1/2 cup pineapple, raw, cut up
1/2 pear, cored, cut up (leave the peel on)
3 oz chicken breast, cut up

Top with dressing:

2 tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)

Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Simple Salad with Pineapple, Green Olives and Kale

Simple and quick. Tasty.

Mix together, how you like for a salad:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1/2 cup Pineapple, raw, diced up
8 Olives, green castelverano, halved (pitted)
1 tsp Dukkah (minced nuts, Egyptian style)

Top with:

2 Tbsp  Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)
1-2 tsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale

Kale with Olives and Dates in Sauce

The half and half is still good, so why waste it? That was the initial thought about what to do with the kale tonight. Thus the following mixture. It was good. Might have been better had I steamed the kale and served the concoction on top, but instead, I put the kale in the saute and wilted it that way. But, still it was good, edible, and tasty.

First of all, packing a cup of kale. This is what it looks like to rip up 3 huge leaves for a cup - and packing it like you would pack brown sugar. Actually measures out to about 1.15 to 1.25 cups, but if you squish and take out the air, it's a stout cup of kale.  For nutrition count, I usually factor it as 1.15 cups.

Tonight, the kale was served as a side dish to baked salmon.

Saute:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper, ground
1/4 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

Add and continue saute:
8 grape tomatoes, halved
7 green pitted olives, halved (castleverano)
3 dates, pitted and chopped up

Stir in, lower heat, simmer:
1 oz half and half, mixed with next item
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing

While that simmers, rip up into bite size pieces:
1+ cups kale (ie 1 packed cup)

Add the kale, cover and continue to simmer for 2-5 minutes
Uncover, mix up and serve.


Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Again with the Brussel Sprouts and Kale

I was inspired by the little potatoes we had at the beach recently. And the organic half and half that I brought home from the beach food share. Plus the pomegranate juice I've had around for a bit.  This little saute turned out ok! It would have rated higher if I had used a different fruit, such as pineapple. But, still - it was good.

Saute, soften up and brown:
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, sliced thin crosswise
3 brussel sprouts, quartered, chopped
1 tsp raw ginger, peeled, chopped up (it started out as more than that with the peel and all)
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mix

Add, lower heat and simmer:
1/8 cup half and half
1/8 cup pomegranate juice, mixed with the half and half
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (Cindy's Kitchen at Whole Foods)
15 grapes (red or black, seedless), halved

While the veggies simmer, steam:
1.25 cups of kale, ripped to bite size pieces.  I put the kale on my dinner plate, put over it a microwave steamer cover and microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir saute, and pour over the plated steamed kale.

Rated a 4.49 on the Kale Scale.

Brussel Sprouts with Orange and Kale Saute

Another attempt at brussel sprouts. Turned out ok. Putting fruit with the sprouts works well to camouflage them.

Saute:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 brussel sprouts, chopped
2 clementines, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash
1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice

Add and simmer a bit:
1 oz white wine
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (Cindy's Kitchen)

Add, cover, and wilt kale as desired:
1 oz white wine (yes, another oz)
1+ cup of Kale, ripped to bite size pieces

 Rated a 4.58 on the Kale Scale.

Kale and Grapes Salad

Simple, and effective. Kale salad to go with a salmon dinner and corn on the cob.

Mix up to your satisfaction:

1 cup purple Kale, ripped into bite size pieces
30 red grapes, halved
2 Tbsp Tangerine Vinaigrette Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen)

Rated a 4.5 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Salad with Persimmon, Kiwi and Pineapple

Our long and pleasant run of 70+ F. weather is still with us, and makes for great salad motivation.

Toss, layer or however you like, put these ingredients together:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 persimmon, peeled, cored, chopped
1 kiwi, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple pieces, chopped

Dust with 1 tsp of coconut flakes

Serve with 4 tsp of Cindy's Kitchen Tangerine Vinaigrette.

Rated a 4.66 on the Kale Scale.

Tomato and Pear Kale Salad

Simple and easy.

Toss together and serve:

1 cup Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 red pear, chopped
1 Brooks plum, chopped
10 grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp Tangerine Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)

 Rated a 4.58 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Salad with Fruit and Cheese

Hot day = salad. I had two purple apricots, and one was purple through and through. Surprise! The purple in/out was actually a Red Raven Purple Plum.

Layer, toss, mix these ingredients for a salad:

1+ cup kale, ripped to bite sized pieces
1/2 pear, chopped
1 purple apricot, chopped
1 purple red raven plum, chopped
25 watermelon balls
1 oz cheese, diced (I used something from Whole Foods called Tipsy Cheese from England)

Dress with 2 Tbsp of Tangerine Viniagrette (Cindy's Kitchen / Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.6 on the Kale Scale

Maiz Fresco Kale Salad

Fresh corn kernels cut from a just cooked cob, mixed with butter and pepper - forms the basis for a delicious salad!

Cook, however you like:

1 corn on the cob. Cut the kernals from the cob, mix with 1 tsp butter and black pepper. Set aside.

Layer, toss, whatever you like - make a salad with these ingredients:

1 cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces
8 green castelvetrano olives, pitted, halved
8 cherry tomatoes, quarters
Corn kernels, all of them
Cilantro, several sprigs, chopped up
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing, Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods


Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale.

Blueberry Kale Salad

I bought 5 lbs of fresh blueberries for $2.50/lb from the child of a co-worker. What to do with them? That's why this salad.  I got anothe bottle of Cindy's Kitchen dressings - fat free, low sodium, and very tasty!

Layer, toss, mix - however you like - use these ingredients to make the salad:

1+ cup kale, ripped to bite size pieces
3/4 to 1 cup blueberries
2 Tbsp Tangerine Vinaigrette, Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods


Rated a 4.55 on the Kale Scale

Kale Peared with Apricot and Coconut Dust

Using the purple apricot, which looks normal on the inside, but I'm hoping there are nutrition bonus points for it being purple skin. Also, using Bob's Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut. This salad was a side to a fresh filet of rock fish.

Layer, toss, or however, put these ingredients together to make a salad:

1+ cup of Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 red pear, cored, and chopped
1 purple skin apricot, chopped
2 tsp coconut dust
2 Tbsp Fig and Balsamic Vinegar Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.4 on the Kale Scale.

Kale Fruit Salad with Black Apricot

Black apricots were a new one on me, so I bought 2 to try out.  They tasted like regular apricots, but I thought they may be better nutritionally because they have a purple skin.

Layer or toss to make a salad:
1+ cup kale, ripped into bite sized pieces
2 black apricots, chopped
1 nectarine, chopped
1 mango, peeled, chopped

Serve with
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.55 on the Kale Scale

Pear Kale Salad with Stonefruits

Here is a fruit salad that perked up a rainy June day. It was paired with a yummy wild salmon filet for my dinner on last Saturday.

Put these items together in a bowl (layer, toss, whatever):
1.25 cups of Kale, ripped to bite size pieces
1 nectarine, chopped
1 kiwi, peeled, chopped
1 apricot, chopped
1 red pear, chopped

Serve with:
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)
3 tsp walnuts, chopped fine

Rated a 4.67 on the Kale Scale

Baked Chicken Kale Salad with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

With some of the buttermilk marinated baked chicken, I made this salad. It was very good, and nice way to get my protein.

Toss, layer or whatever - make salad with:

1.25 cups kale, ripped to bite size pieces
4 oz baked chicken breast tender, marinated in buttermilk and spices
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
10 black olives, halved
3 tsp pumpkin seeds, spiced (curry, cinnamon, chili)
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic Dressing (Cindy's Kitchen for Whole Foods)


Rated a 4.7 on the Kale Scale.