Kale Citrus Salad with Goat Cheese

Sweet, spicy, creamy, tangy..... this salad has it all! Some friends of mine served this Pioneer Woman recipe when we had dinner at their house one night and I've made it several times since. It goes really well with seafood. We've had it as a side to with scallops, salmon, and chicken. I always go a little crazy with the jalapeños and burn my mouth off. Turns out a little goes a long way.

There are also some options when it comes to the kale. I often lightly blanche my kale to soften it for salads, and I've done this a few times with this one. Another option is to make the dressing ahead and let the kale sit in the dressing for a little while to soften it a bit. (This is what the Pioneer Woman does, but not what I did for this blog post). I know you're dying to try this amazing salad, so without further ado, here is the recipe.

KALE CITRUS SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

1 bunch of kale

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped

3 tangerines or clementines

4 oz goat cheese

1/4 orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed or grated

1 tablespoon of greek yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

Tear the kale leaves from the stems, then chop them as finely as you want.

To make the dressing, combine the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, chopped jalapeño, salt and pepper in a small mason jar. Shake vigorously until all combined, then add the sour cream or yogurt and shake again until it's smooth and creamy.

Peel the fruit with a knife (to minimize the amount of pith you get with the orange), then chop into bite sized chunks. 

If you want to blanche the kale, place it in a colander and pour hot water over it until has all changed to a bright green color.  Cool the kale quickly, either by pouring cold water over it or just tossing or spinning it (in a lettuce spinner) to cool it off. Dry it very, very well.

If you aren’t blanching the kale, pour the dressing over it and allow it to sit for a while. (Pioneer Woman recommends no more than 15 minutes, but I don’t have a problem with the constancy of the kale that has sat longer.)

At the last minute, break the goat cheese into chunks with a fork and toss it into the salad. 

Kale Caesar Salad

One of the best food decisions I've ever made was to start making my own salad dressings. It's difficult to find bottled salad dressings without those cheap, unhealthy oils, and once I realized how much better homemade salad dressing tastes I was sold! I'll never go back. 

Most salad dressings are either oil or mayonnaise based, and I have a substitute for each. For any creamy dressings I use Greek yogurt, and I use olive oil for the rest. Most are as easy as stirring together a few ingredients and serving, but a few require a food processor. Usually the best ones, so it's always worth it. This caesar dressing is really, really worth it.

This salad is good with just romaine lettuce, but I'm always looking for ways to sneak super foods into my meals and blanched kale is a great way. I also really enjoy the variety of texture and flavor that mixing greens adds to a salad. 

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

6 anchovy fillets, packed in oil

2 garlic cloves

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

                        

In a blender or food processor, pulse the anchovies, garlic cloves and salt until it forms somewhat of a paste. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, black pepper, and olive oil; blend until completely incorporated. Mix in the parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or pepper accordingly. Transfer to a container or bowl and store in the refrigerator, covered until ready to use. Can be stored for about 3 days.

              

FOR THE SALAD

1 large head of romaine lettuce

1 bunch of kale

Shaved parmesan, for topping

Tear kale into pieces, remove stalks, and place in a metal colander. Pour boiling water over the kale and stir to make sure all the kale is softened by the hot water. You may want to place the kale in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking process, or just toss kale until completely cooled. Tear romaine lettuce into pieces and combine with kale.

FOR THE CROUTONS

1 baguette (or extra pizza crust)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional

When serving this salad with pizza sometime I will bake an extra piece of pizza crust dough and then chop it up to make croutons. Pizza crust croutons are really tasty! 

Regardless, cube whatever bread you're using and toss with olive oil, garlic powder if desired, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Broil in the oven for a few minutes until crusty and golden brown.

Toss with salad dressing and croutons, and sprinkle with shaved parmesan. 

Sweet Potato Kale Salad

I'm not sure why I'm calling this salad by only two of the ingredients because every one of them adds something amazing. I sat down, took one bite, and just sighed with happiness because it was everything I hoped it would be. I ate the entire thing and then proceeded to switch it out with another meal on our weekly meal plan so I can eat it again as soon as possible!

SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD with LEMON TAHINI DRESSING

Serves 2

1 bunch of kale

3/4 cup of chickpeas 

1/2 of a sweet potato

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 of a red onion, diced

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup tahini

Juice from 1 lemon

1-2 tbs warm water

Salt and pepper

Sprigs of cilantro and parsley

Steam or roast your sweet potato ahead of time so it will be room temperature when you're ready to serve. The easiest way is to cube the sweet potato before cooking, and salt lightly when it is ready. Set aside to cool. 

Next blanch the kale. Remove the stalks and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, then pour almost-boiling water over the leaves. Immediately afterwards dunk the kale in ice water to halt the cooking process, which will preserve more of the nutrients and leave some of the crispness. 

Rinse chickpeas thoroughly, and dice the purple onion and avocado. Add those ingredients plus the cooled sweet potatoes and the dried cranberries to the top of your kale salad. 

For the salad dressing, combine tahini and lemon juice and whisk until well blended. It will become very thick so add warm water a teaspoon or so at a time until you reach the consistency you want. Then salt and pepper to taste. Chop the parsley and cilantro and add them to your dressing. And that's it!

Once you add the dressing and give it a stir, it's all ready to enjoy. It's okay to get your hopes up because it's one of the best things I've ever tasted!