Crispy Kale Salad

Well, apparently the baby didn't get the memo, or maybe she just doesn't have a calendar handy, but the official due date is here! I am totally unconcerned, since about 50% of pregnancies go past their "due" date, but I am getting very eager to meet this little girl, and have started doing everything that I can to encourage her! I'm trying to incorporate daily long walks and a fair amount of spicy food (even though I have to keep the Tums close).  Enter a crispy salad with a hit of Thai chile in the dressing.



This past weekend, my friend Meg and I went to a tour/dyeing demonstration/mill ends sale at Lorna's Laces, a locally-owned hand-dyed yarn company. I've been falling more and more in love with knitting ever since last winter when I got inspired to knit a sweater... even though I didn't know how to knit yet. I threw myself into the deep end on that project, and ever since I have felt like nothing could possibly be beyond my reach, if I want it. That said, I've been finding immense satisfaction from smaller projects lately; finished Christmas gifts are just flying off my needles!



Crispy Kale Salad

If you're new to the wonderful world of kale, try this Roasted Kale and Coconut Salad too; it will blow your mind.

1 large bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale
2 carrots
1 large radish
1 cucumber
2 cups chopped bokchoy
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

for the dressing:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
juice of two limes
1 Thai chile, seeds removed, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Remove the ribs from the kale, and tear half into large pieces (about 5 inches). Arrange the pieces on a large baking sheet, coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, until crispy. Cool completely.

Use a mandoline or a very sharp knife to cut the carrots, radish, and cucumber into thin wafers, and chop the remaining kale into thin strips. Place vegetables and herbs in a large bowl and prepare the dressing. Combine the brown sugar and water in a small bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, then stir to dissolve completely. Add remaining 4 dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Add about 2/3 of dressing to the salad and toss. Arrange salad on plates, top with crispy kale, and drizzle remaining dressing over. Serve!

Roasted Kale and Coconut Salad

Sometimes I just have a day when there doesn't seem to be enough chocolate in the world. Please tell me you have those days. You start eating mini Milky Ways at 8am, and you only stop briefly for meals. Don't worry, I know how ridiculous that sounds. It's OK, it's only for today. Tomorrow, we'll have a banana smoothie for breakfast, vegan soup for lunch, and veggie stir fry with brown rice for dinner. Right? Tomorrow we'll get back on track. But today it's Twix for breakfast, crab rangoon for dinner, and two cupcakes before bed because hey, we just gave up.



This salad is the perfect reprieve for your poor little digestive system; a gift for your body on a day when you are not doing it any favors. It starts with kale and coconut chips, which I must urge you to locate as soon as possible. Coconut chips are a far cry from shredded coconut - they're crispy and crunchy, and really taste of coconut. A miracle. The kale and coconut are tossed in a soy and sesame dressing that will blow your mind. I cried a little. I licked my bowl. I think there should maybe be a spa treatment involving this dressing. It's that delicious. Then it all gets roasted, resulting in a crunchy, chewy delight of a salad.

Roasted Kale and Coconut Salad
adapted from Super Natural Every Day, Shutterbean, and Joy the Baker.



1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
6 cups (2 bunches) lightly packed chopped kale, ribs removed
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and sriracha in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well. Place kale and coconut in a large bowl and pour most of the dressing over. Toss well, and spread mixture in one layer over two rimmed baking sheets. Roast 12-15 minutes, until coconut is well toasted, stirring once about halfway through the cooking time. Remove from oven, return to the bowl, and toss with remaining dressing. Serve over hot farro or brown rice.

Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing

If your Christmas dinner featured prime rib or beef tenderloin, you probably have some pretty rockin' leftovers.  Horseradish sauce and leftover beef were made for each other.  This salad is a way to feature that delectable combo without total over-the-top decadence.  The dressing is light and tangy - no mayonnaise, just a little bit of plain yogurt, lemon juice, and of course, horseradish.  The salad is comprised of whatever you like - for me it was baby greens, cubed white cheddar (use gorgonzola if you have some), a bit of crumbled crispy bacon, and a hard-boiled egg.  And the steak, of course. 

Enjoy!

Creamy Horseradish Dressing

2 tablespoons plain full-fat yogurt
juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and drizzle over salad.

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad

In between facefuls of Christmas cookies, I've been trying really hard to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies this month.  It leaves me feeling strong and fresh and healthy.  And while this certainly isn't news, I am always amazed by the steadiness of my energy level and mood when I'm well-rested and well-fed.  This week, when I'm working all day and singing most evenings, that steady energy is vital.



Pomegranates are so very strange to look at, and not that easy to eat; it's easy to see why the ancient Greeks called them "fruit of the dead."  You can eat them for their powerful antioxidants, their juicy crunch, their fabulous taste, or simply because while you're eating, you can close your eyes and pretend to be the mythical Proserpina, kidnapped and doomed to spend half of each year as Queen of the Underworld.  Now that's cool.

Proserpina (Persephone)

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad

This salad would be a perfect addition to a Christmas dinner, with its festive red and green.  It's also a fantastic lunch during a long day of Christmas baking.  The recipe makes enough for lunch for one, but is easily expanded to serve a crowd.

Salad:
2 cups baby greens
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
a handful of whole hazelnuts
1 ounce soft goat cheese

Dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

Place the hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, tossing periodically, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Place greens in a salad bowl, and arrange pomegranate seeds, goat cheese on top.  Roughly chop the hazelnuts and toss them in.  Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle over salad.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Brussels Sprout Salad

This past Sunday, my mom gave a concert in Suttons Bay.  We went up to attend, and my mom graciously invited me to sing with her on a couple of pieces.  What an absolute joy to be able to sing together.  You want to talk about voices blending?  Try being related!  It's like nothing else.  The program was all sacred, and there was a free-will offering collected to raise money for homeless teens living in the area, in order to provide them with turkeys for their Thanksgiving celebration.  The goal had been to raise $300, which would have covered that cost.  We ended up raising $575.  I was speechless.

On Saturday afternoon, we drove up to Brys Estate on Old Mission Peninsula for a wine tasting and food pairing event.  It was a beautiful day - sunny, cool and clear.  The views were unbeatable.

We got home, and I started putting everyone to work on dinner: Dad shelling pistachios ("Three quarters of a cup of shelled pistachios is more than you would think!"), hubby peeling potatoes, sister grating cheese.  It's amazing how fast dinner comes together when you have 5 pairs of hands!  (If you're doing mental math right now, my sister's boyfriend was also there helping.  Calm down.)

I first had this brussels sprout salad at my friend Joey's restaurant, Franks 'n' Dawgs.  I might never have ordered it if he hadn't just given me a taste one time.  I mean, you can't blame me.  Who in their right mind would order a salad of brussels sprouts when the menu boasts things like the "Tur-doggin" (Turkey & date sausage, crispy duck confit, herb garlic aioli, pickled onion relish & pickled carrots), "Krazy Kimchi" (Spicy beef sausage, braised short rib & turnips, kimchi, wild rice & basi), and "Peking Duck" (Duck & sesame sausage, pickled cucumber, hoisin aioli, scallion, crispy peking duck skin & puffed rice)?  Many of the sausages are house-made daily, and they're served on freshly baked, buttered, and toasted New England-style lobster rolls.  Certainly, the salad is NOT the thing to order here.

Or is it?

I am so glad I tried this, because it completely transformed the way that I see this humble vegetable!  Don't get me wrong, I've never been a hater.  My dad started me on steamed sprouts early on, and since then I have fallen in love with their roasted counterparts.  But raw was a new concept to me.  This salad is the perfect antidote to sad, wilty lettuce salads when the weather turns cooler.  Refreshing and satisfying, with a zing of lemon and a crunch of pistachios, this is the perfect salad to have alongside something not-so-light.  Like the fabulous sausages at Franks 'n' Dawgs, or fried chicken and mashed potatoes at home. 

 

Brussels Sprout Salad

1 bag brussels sprouts

3/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup of olive oil

pepper to taste

finely chopped fresh dill, to taste (about 3 tablespoons for me)

Chop the tough ends off of the sprouts, halve them, and slice them thinly.  (This was a revelation to me. It's like a tiny cabbage!)  Place sprouts in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss.  Serve with something indulgent.  It's all about balance.

Heat Wave Salad

I made a vow when summer started that I would not complain - not once! - about the heat.  I am still not complaining.  I will not break my vow, and I still remember how long and horrible last winter was.  I feel thankful.  But I would like to comment that it is so hot and humid outside this week that I actually have to walk more slowly.  And I don't really feel motivated to cook; my air conditioner is working hard enough as it is.

Persian cucumbers and baby heirloom tomatoes

I actually really like the heat.  I like most things about summer.  Like the fact that things are growing, and even vegetables sometimes taste like candy.  Like thunderstorms.  Like going to the beach, like u-pick farms, like baseball games and hot dogs and incredible sunsets.

So last night I breathed a prayer of thanks for the heat, and made hot dogs and salad for dinner. 

 

Heat Wave Salad

I wanted to put watermelon in this salad, but my watermelon had gone bad in the fridge.  Did you know that when watermelon goes bad, it ferments a little and starts to taste slightly like wine?  I mean, I don't recommend letting it go bad and then eating it, but I tasted it to make sure, and yup, kind of like wine!

1 Persian cucumber, halved and sliced in 1/4-in half-moons
1 cup baby heirloom (or cherry) tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 nectarine, cubed
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 sprig each cilantro and mint, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon avocado oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss together until produce is covered with dressing.

Yield: One huge serving, or two normal servings.  You can take a wild guess what I did.

Grilled Chard Salad

In my family, we've always celebrated birthdays when it's most convenient for everyone to be there.  Both my parents are singers, and they would sometimes be traveling when one of our birthdays happened.  Instead of missing the celebration, birthdays became moveable.  So even though my dad's actual birthday was a few days ago, we celebrated it yesterday.

We had decided ahead of time that we wanted to float in tubes down this little river that ends at Lake Michigan.  There were six of us, and seven tubes (one for the cooler full of beer), and it seemed like a great plan!  That's assuming that it's hot and sunny in July... which it sometimes is not in Northern Michigan.  The high yesterday was only about 72, and it was cloudy, which made for an interesting trip down the river.  We definitely still had fun, but by the end of the 2-plus-hour journey, we were all a little blue and shivering.  Especially me, since my tube had started slowly deflating about halfway through.  Oh well.

My mom and I are a pretty great kitchen team.  We marinated some boneless pork chops in Wicker's Original marinade, which you can (and should) order here.  We grilled the pork chops along with some sweet corn on the cob, and this chard salad, and made a peach cobbler (using this recipe, substituting peaches for rhubarb, and omitting the almond extract), which we served with ice cream from Moomers, the little ice cream shop down the street.  You can see the cows that provide milk for them right outside their window.

Grilled Chard Salad


1 bunch chard (red, rainbow, whatever you want)
1 cup cherry tomatotes
1/4 cup pine nuts
olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon


Rinse the chard well, and chop into 1-inch pieces, discarding the very end of the stems.  Toss with olive oil in a large bowl, and then pour out onto a piece of aluminum foil.  Using another piece of foil, fold the edges to make a sealed packet.  Place on a hot grill for about 10 minutes.  Remove, open the packet, and empty the chard into a serving bowl.  Add cherry tomatoes and pine nuts, dress with a little more olive oil and the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm.


Yield: 6 servings