Something healthy...finally. Hotel living has some advantages, such as calling down to have our room cleaned, or asking that the garbage be removed, but it also has disadvantages associated with waist lines. A more competent person would argue that with a fully stocked fridge, an oven and a microwave, any culinary achievement is possible. I agree, but perhaps with a tiny little person asking for a fairly big chunk of attention each day, it's easy to go the take away and convenience meal route. Well, not for this meal, one virtue of which is the ease and speed at which it was assembled, dispelling myths that healthy foods take time and money. It was also a revelation, I mean really, not in the "revelation - spinach is actually good for you", way, but a real meal changing way.
You would imagine kale, which often suffers from the dreaded chewy state even after frying or steaming, would intensify in it's downfall when raw. This doesn't seem to be the case. Having a dressing seductively massaged into it, (in this instance a creamy and nutty hummus spiked with a little Balsamic and lime juice), seems to make it softer and therefore more palatable. Even Neil, who usually discreetly picks it out of whatever it's been hidden in, leaving it on the side of the plate, commented on how much he liked this, he even went so far as to proclaim it the best part of the dinner. High praise indeed. Perhaps the truth is that you expect the briny, minerally leaves to wilt and become tender when cooked, but stay chewy and difficult raw. Fearing the worst maybe renders it delicious as you take another mouthful and declare it's not as bad as you were expecting. Anyway, it's really good for you, so eat it up.
Recipe : Raw red kale salad with avocado, blueberries & feta with a hummus & lime dressing
This salad is a real health booster powerhouse with the antioxidant rich kale and blueberries and sesame based hummus, so good for your liver. Don't be afraid to get your hands into the leaves to massage the dressing in well.
2 cups of kale, chopped into mouth sized pieces. (I used red Russian, a frilly edged and dark purple veined variety, but there are loads, any one would be good)
1 scallion, white part sliced finely
1/2 carrot, scrubbed and finely sliced
1/2 avocado, cut into chunks
1/2 cup blueberries, halved
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing
2 tbsp hummus
juice of one lime
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
a splash of balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, sliced finely
1 tsp of agave nectar
salt to taste
First, make the dressing. Spoon the hummus into a dish, add the oil and lime juice and mix well. At first it will seem curdled and lumpy, don't worry, keep mixing, it will become smooth again. Add the other ingredients, mixing and tasting before adding salt to balance if you think it needs it.
For the salad, simply put all the ingredients except the feta and avocado into a large bowl, (you don't want these squished and squashed - believe me). Stir everything together and then pour the dressing over. Using your very clean hands start massaging the dressing into the salad until the leaves begin to feel wilted and soften. Add the feta and avocado and mix again to coat with the dressing. This salad is guaranteed not to go soggy and can be kept for days. I recently saw an article about packing your own aeroplane food in a magazine of which a similar kale salad was the star. (Am I the only person alive who actually really likes aeroplane food)?
You may also like:
Spanakopita
Kale quesadillas
Sweet and sour kale
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