Hello, friends! It has been quite a while. A couple of times I was determined to get back to blogging but life happened, and just as I finished rebranding, COVID-19 happened and here we are today. Like me, you are probably exercising “social distancing.” This seems to be the buzz word right now, sort of like “polar vortex” was. Except this time, the buzzword requires a behavior that could save your life. These are scary times, my friends, and I am doing everything in my power to stay healthy during this time. I work in HR at a hospital, so I am remote working from home. But to be honest, this is hard. Not just because of distractions but because of worrying too. My family in spread all over the country and I worry about mom and my brother and his family in NC. We love about 5 minutes from my parents-in-law farm, but they have underlying medical conditions so we do not want to possibly bring anything into their home. It is a lot of pressure, which I cannot imagine what it feels like for those deemed as “essential personnel” by their employer. I feel truly blessed that I have the opportunity to work from home. And I do not want to seem ungrateful, but the boys are doing distance learning for the school and this does not make for a very conducive professional work space. So, I have been decompressing during my breaks… with cooking
About two months ago I did a vegan challenge, and afterwards, I continued on this path. I have tried veganism twice, but this time it feels different, and I believe it is because there is a change in mindset. There is an emotional component about the way animals are treated and the awful treatment they receive. I understand this is a very personal motivation and not everyone agrees with me. But it is one that has made this try more of a change in lifestyle than a trend. So far, I feel so great! I have tons of energy, my heartburn is all but gone, I have lost weight and I am loving it.
More importantly, I am excited about trying new recipes that will keep me healthy and fuel my workouts. I have stayed away from junk vegan foods (yes, there is junk vegan food) and focusing in whole grains, legumes, produce, etc., so the types of foods I am eating are really fueling my running. And this recipe, inspired by Love & Lemons, does just that. It is not only delicious and fresh, it is also so pretty. It almost makes me think like I am in the garden with all those colors!
This salad is delicious. The original recipe has a ginger sesame dressing that takes time because you have to roast some of the veggies. So instead I used a honey apple cider vinaigrette that just worked beautifully for this recipe. A few things about the recipe:
The kale is massaged for this salad. By that I mean, you add olive oil and salt to the kale and literally massage the leaves. What this does is softens the leaves and they will reduce in size to about half. Plus it is very relaxing to do this. Make sure you wash your hands before this. In the age of COVID-19, I must stress this.
While I used these specific veggies because they look so colorful (and I eat with my eyes too), the options are endless here. You can use chard, add grains like farro or bulgur, seeds like sunflower seeds, etc.
If you use avocado, I would add it to the salad after you toss it. Otherwise it will turn red due to the shredded beets.
Powerhouse Kale Salad
Ingredients
1-2 bundles of kale (about 4 cups), chopped into bite sizes
2 tbsp olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced
1/3 cup pepitas
1 shredded beets
1 cup shredded carrots
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1/2 cup of roasted garbanzo beans
For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (in addition to the 2 tbsp above)
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Honey
1 tsp minced garlic
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Massage the kale with 2 tbsp olive oil and salt, until the kale softens and decreases in volume. Set aside.
Combine all the vinaigrette dressing ingredients and whisk until they emulsify. If you want a creamier texture, you can add one tsp of mustard.
Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl, add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. ** I am not a fan of salads drenched in dressing, so I add a few tbsp at a time to match my taste. Remember, you can always add more, but you can never take any out.
I hope you enjoy this salad and that you stay safe. I know times seem bleak right now, but we will get through this together. And if you fall under the “essential personnel” category, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. You are in the forefront of this battle ensuring we have our essential services. You have our eternal gratitude! Be blessed, friends!
You may find me joining these beautiful blog linkups: Heart & Soul, Meatless Monday, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday, Encouraging Hearts & Homes