RECIPE IDEA: WINTER SLAW KALE SALAD

​The first time I ever had this delicious take on kale salad was during a winter break at home in South Florida. My mom made it after seeing the recipe on Ina Garten’s show, Barefoot Contessa, on The Food Network. My issue with kale has always been that it’s a little bitter, and the texture is more-than-a-little course. This recipe addresses both of these issues. It is straight up addicting. It’s one of those dishes that you can’t just take one bite of. And best believe, I never thought I would feel this way about a kale salad….but, here we are. It’s easy to make, good to your body and absolutely delicious. 

Here's what you'll need:
6 large kale leaves
15 brussel sprouts
red cabbage  or radicchio
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup of olive oil
salt
pepper
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
1 hunk of parmesan cheese

​Grab a chopping board and a good knife. Once you’ve washed all of your veggies, slice them into think slivers. You want them thin, but not cole slaw thin. The tricky part will be the brussel sprouts because they’re wrapped up so tight. I cut them in half and pulled the leaves of as best I could. The thickness of your kale, cabbage and sprouts is really up to you. I think getting them thinner will allow the flavors to mesh better once the salad is finished and mixed together.
 
Toss your chopped kale, cabbage and b sprouts into a mixing bowl, and add the dried cranberries. If you’ve never had dried cranberries, you are in for a treat. While cranberry juice can be a bit tart, the dried berries are nothing but sweet goodness.
 
Now, it’s time for the dressing. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then drizzle it on your chopped leaves and cranberries. Mix it until the dressing is pretty even throughout your veggies.
 
Lastly, grate your parmesan cheese on top. I used to the traditional shredding side of my grater because I was feeling lazy, BUT  the original recipe calls for using the side with the larger slits to produce wider shards of cheese (that makes for prettier pictures).

The sharpness of the parmesan, tang of lemon juice, and sweetness of dried cranberries complement the texture and flavor of the veggies so much.
 
Also, the olive oil-based dressed softens the kale. This dish is best served fresh, or even chilled for a bit. The flavor will actually stay if you store it for a few days, but the texture will change. The kale will lose some of its firmness, but again, the taste is the same.
 
Try this salad this fall with grilled chicken or salmon!
 
With Love and Glitter,
 
Morgan