Lemon Garlic Kale Salad

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015707-lemon-garlic-kale-salad
Lemon Garlic Kale Salad

I made a smaller version of this salad and we all liked it (except clyde who hardly ever eats dinner). I did massage the kale a bit and that made it a little nicer.

Grape Poppy Seed Salad (aka massaged kale salad)

Heidi's cleanse book, page 23 & 69

Grape Poppy Seed Salad

Serves 2 

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and cut into ribbons 

Juice of 1 lemon 

Extra virgin olive oil 

Salt 

1 cup red or green grapes (If grapes aren’t in season, consider another fruit like apples.) 

1 ripe avocado 

1/4 cup almonds (Can also use toasted pine nuts, pecans, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds) 

Add the kale to a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice and drizzle olive oil over the top. Add a pinch or two of sea salt. (Be careful not to over-salt it. The salt is for flavor, but also to help break down the kale.) Massage the kale* until it’s a deep dark green and it has become soft and tender. About 2 to 3 minutes.

Poppy Seed Dressing

(This makes enough for one Grape Poppy Seed Salad) 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons Bragg’s apple cider vinegar 

1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard, no added sugar 

1/2 shallot, diced 

1 tablespoon poppy seeds* 

Pinch salt 1 teaspoon honey 

Whisk all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar for up to one week. *You can substitute sesame seeds if you don’t have poppy seeds.

LOVE this salad. Best way to eat kale!

Southern Style Kale

http://www.southbeachprimal.com/southern-style-kale/

Southern Style Kale

This was really great. I used a bit too much bacon. 4 slices of thin cut would have been enough, but I probably used 6 or 7. I only added 1/2 tsp of salt too, and I am really glad because it was very salty already. The rest I made as is, with 1 bunch of kale. It was so good! It didn't have a strong bitter taste cooked this way. I will make it again the next time I get kale.

Olive Garden Soup

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Olive-Garden-Copycat-Zuppa-Toscana-38298

This is a rip off of the potato soup served at Olive Garden. It is really great. I alter the original recipe:

1/2 lb hot or mild sausage (i use bulk)

6 medium potatoes

3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1 or 2 onions

2 clove garlic

1 qt chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 tsp pepper (if not using hot sausage)

1 cup milk

4 cups kale or swiss chard leaves (or a bunch, I don't measure. Like a couple huge handfuls. whatever. lots though, and make sure it is in chunks and not chopped in small bits. i just tear it off the stalks and don't do much else.)

Very good! If your sausage has very little flavor you might opt for the full lb.

I cook the bacon and sausage at the beginning (in the soup pot) and keep it in a bowl until the instructions (in the link) say to add it later on. The bacon gets crumbled. I use bulk mild or hot pork sausage from the New York Style Sausage Company. David likes the hot sausage best.

Kale and White Bean Stew

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/nutritiousdishes/lowcholesterolhearthealth/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-White-Bean-Stew-351254

This was pretty good considering how healthy it is. DH lamented the lack of meat (at which point I said I had planned on adding ham but he had eaten it). I swapped chicken broth for the vege broth. The fresh thyme is important for flavor. I put fresh tarragon in at the end and that made for a great flavor as well. Tarragon is awesome, by the way. It is great in yogurt sauce for gyros.