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Looking For Red and Green? Try This!

December 10, 2012   18 Comments

Snack Girl will not apologize for her continued healthy holiday search. Today's entry: The Christmas Salad.

Kale Salad

With its colors of red and green, and its sparkling dewiness, it will rival your Christmas tree for beauty and smell. Better yet, you get to EAT it, while the tree ends up on your curb.

Before you click off of here and go look at the latest cookie recipes, hear me out!

This salad is made with kale, which is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. One serving of this salad includes 206% of your daily value of Vitamin A. Kale is just a festival of nutrients.

Here are your holiday gifts from this salad:

  • Kale is CHEAP and in season right now. I bought over 2 pounds for $1.33.
  • Because kale is a winter green it is tougher than lettuce and will keep in your fridge for longer.
  • This salad can be prepared in 5 minutes!

My summer garden is still growing kale and we are in full winter mode. Why can't tomatoes do the same thing? :)

The key to eating raw kale is chopping it into little bits. Obviously, trying to eat a leaf of kale (like a leaf of lettuce) with be next to impossible so you have to pre-chew it with your kitchen knife.

After you wash the kale, and strip it from its stem, you just chop it into small pieces and toss it into your salad bowl. Then the fun part starts! What we DON'T want to do is turn it into yesterday's taco salad and ruin the goodness that is kale.

What we do have to do is make it taste good so you will love it. I used olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon, salt, and some cherry tomatoes and it was brilliant. Bitter, sour, sweet, salty, crunchy - WOW!

It is amazing to me how good this tastes and I would have never tried it unless my husband made it for me when he forgot to buy lettuce. He just ran out the door, picked some kale, and created this salad that I couldn't stop eating.

Thin slices of parmesan (made with a vegetable peeler) would be great with this.

Do you have any suggestions for preparing fresh kale salad?

kalesaladb

Christmas Kale Salad Recipe

1.6 from 24 reviews

(serves 4)

one bunch of kale
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 fresh lemon
salt to taste
cherry tomatoes (optional)

Wash kale and strip it from its stem. Chop with a kitchen knife into small bits and make approximately 4 cups - add to large bowl. Mix olive oil and Dijon mustard in small cup and pour over kale. Squeeze lemon and toss. Now, taste it! What does it need? Salt, more lemon? Keep tasting until you get to desired flavor. Add cherry tomatoes and serve.

For one serving: 94 calories, 7.3 g fat, 6.8 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g protein, 1.4 g fiber, 100 mg sodium, 3 Points+

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

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18 Comments:

I've never had raw kale, but this recipe looks so good -- I might have to try it. Oh, and don't apologize for your healthy recipes! I tried the naked pear and cranberry pie for Thanksgiving -- it was a HIT! Thanks, SG!

I've never tried kale and this inspired me to. And no apologies for healthy recipes - it's what we love :)

I LOVE KALE! It's my favourite veggie. Here's my tip for keeping it very happy in the fridge - treat it like a bouquet of flowers! Fill a pitcher or vase with water, trim the stems, place the kale in the pitcher, and put it in the fridge. Kale will stay super crisp and happy for a week.

I love red and green, but as much as I have tried, I can't get into kale! :( I'll stick to romaine lettuce!

We're on the same wavelength. I just posted about a kale and pomegranate salad. It looks like holly. How is that not festive?! I love the simplicity of the salad. Just what a big holiday dinner table needs!

Snack girl u ROCK!! I love kale and this salad looks amazing thanks for sharing:-)

Erica

Love "Snack Girl." I've read when using kale, you "have" to message it for about 2 min. with extra virgin olive oil to soften this great green. Makes a big difference.

Hi there, Thanks for the reminder of simplicity during "the season". I use kale interchange-ably with spinach in both fresh and cooked recipes.

A side note for the cookies- I found a pin suggesting that rather than give someone a batch of cookies, give them frozen cookie dough. That way they can use it later in the year when needed. there were also suggestions for packaging and freeze-able recipes....duh!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/12/cookie-dough-tins-a-…

Thank you for continuing to post low calorie recipes and ideas. As a registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, I appreciate your efforts. It is especially important at this time of year when high calorie treats are everywhere. I've read that will power can take you only so far--after being confronted with goodies time after time, we often give in after resisting the first couple of times. Planning healthful alternatives is key to success!

Thanks, Lisa & everyone who posted tips. I've already bought seeds so I can grow some kale next year! I'm getting so many great ideas from everyone!

I never thought of adding raw kale to my diet. I used to work at a big chain restaurant where we put it out every day around the salad bar-my only experience with it! I like the above post-I too am thinking about what healthy things to plant this spring!!

I like kale I hve been trying to incorporate into more meals against my families wishes lol. I don't care for it raw though so I mix it with romaine in salads. I think I will try Joyce's olive oil trick. Also this yr I am going to jar up a simple tomato sauce as gift giveaways. I saw it on Katie browns workshop and it seemed like a useful, affordable, easy, healthy gift

Kale is one of those vegetables that I know I should eat, but do I buy it? Do I remember to put it on my shopping list .. noooooo. I mean, Trader Joe's has it in a bag already cut, ready to go and do I buy it .. nooo. LOL

I promise to buy kale this week!

Monica.

Love tomatoes and completely forget about making a salad out of kale this time of year. Thanks for the reminder! Cheers~

Tenderize it by either massaging chopped kale with some salt OR put a cutting board on top of it with something heavy to press it for about 30 min. or more. ~~I usually juice my kale with fruit and drink it.

Hi! I just shared on my facebook page - Annapolis Nutrition. I am loving all you advice. This is perfect. The pic is so bright and perfect for Holiday parties!

I do a similar one I found on Pinterest. It used boiled eggs, turkey bacon bits, shredded carrots & corn to round it out to a full meal salad. My husband loves it!

So good...and so good for you! I like kale and/or other baby greens in smoothies with frozen banana slices, unsweetened cashew milk, & vanilla protein powder.😋

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