kale salad | goodmotherdiet

I love this combination of kabocha squash brushed with maple syrup and roasted to sweet tenderness, on a bed of fresh baby kale, hearty wild rice, creamy avocado, pomegranate seeds and salty crushed pistachios, all drizzled with a light orange, ginger vinaigrette. Its a hearty main course salad when paired with crusty sourdough bread or a bowl of soup.

My friend, Kerry and her daughter, Gabby, were visiting from Maine last week. I could tell that Kerry was unimpressed by the pile of greens on the counter while i was making dinner. By the time the whole salad was assembled, she was singing a different tune…

The colors alone tell you that this salad is a nutrional powerhouse. Remember “Eat the Rainbow”? The more colors you combine in your meals, the more vitamins and minerals you are likely to be getting. I haven’t posted a food color chart in a while, so here is good one compliments of eatlocalgrown.com. Its actually pretty interesting knowing that food is a certain color for a reason, or conversely, that the phytonutrients a plant contains determines its color. I love wild rice in salads. It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture that helps satisfy your mouth and your belly. This salad is not heavy but it makes you feel satisfied and happy. For those that like to compare the nutrition of various ingredients, there is a healthy reason to incorporate wild rice into your diet. According to SF Gate, a one-cup serving of cooked, long-grain white rice contains 210 calories, 4 grams of protein and 45 grams of carbohydrate, including 1 gram of fiber. The same-sized serving of cooked wild rice provides you with 170 calories, 7 grams of protein and 35 grams of carbohydrate, including 3 grams of fiber.This recipe calls for kabocha squash which is perfect for salad since its flavorful and tender and has a soft edible rind. You can also use acorn squash which also has the pretty scallops but the rind is hard and inedible. Its not really a problem, you can just remove the rind as you eat. Acorn squash should probably be cut in thin quarter rounds since they are generally larger and may need to cook longer depending on thickness.

TIPS: I love fresh pomegranate seeds, or arils as they are technically named, but they are not available all year around. Sometimes you can find them in the frozen section but I have started buying them when they are in season, seeding them and storing them in the freezer until I need them. Its best to store in small, usable quantities instead of trying to chip away at a large block. You can also freeze the small plastic containers of pomegranate seeds available in stores during the season if you haven’t opened them. They thaw perfectly! You can always substitute another fresh fruit like blueberries or dried cranberries or raisins.

SQUASH, WILD RICE AND KALE SALAD

1 kabocha squash (or acorn squash)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup wild rice, uncooked (1/2 cup cooked)
large bunch baby kale or arugula
1/3 cup pomegranate arils (or dried cranberries)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup roasted pecans (pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds)
Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Cook the rice according to instructions in vegetable broth, if desired. For salads, al dente is preferred. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cut the squash open and scoop out the seeds. Place it flat-side-down on a large cutting board and slice into 1/2 inch half rounds

Arrange the Kabocha slices on an oiled baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper). Whisk together the olive oil and maple syrup and brush squash generously, sprinkle with salt and pepper

Roast on 450ºF for 12-15 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown. Turn halfway through and brush maple oil mixture on other side, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread baby kale or arugula in a layer on a large platter.

Dot evenly with wild rice and avocado slices

Top with squash slices

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (arils) and slightly crushed pistachios

Whisk together vinaigrette and dress salad just before serving. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

Squash, Wild Rice and Kale Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 kabocha squash
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup wild rice, uncooked (1/2 cup cooked)
large bunch baby kale or arugula
1/3 cup pomegranate arils (or dried cranberries)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup roasted pecans (pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds)
Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Cook the rice according to instructions in vegetable broth, if desired. For salads, al dente is preferred. Remove from heat and let cool.
Cut the squash open and scoop out the seeds. Place it flat-side-down on a large cutting board and slice into 1/2 inch half rounds
Arrange the Kabocha slices on an oiled baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper). Whisk together the olive oil and maple syrup and brush squash generously, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Roast on 450ºF for 12-15 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown. Turn halfway through and brush oil mixture on other side, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
Spread baby kale or arugula in a layer on a large platter.
Dot evenly with wild rice
Arrange squash and avocado slices on top
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (arils) and slightly crushed nuts
Whisk together vinaigrette and dress salad just before serving. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

This one is for you, Margie! My sister, Margaret, asked me to come up with a new lentil salad recipe, so here you go! Thank you for the inspiration – this one is a keeper! Lentils and rice are one of my favorite food combinations but they can be heavy which makes them a perfect belly warming winter meal but luckily those cold winter months are behind us. I decided to lighten them up for summer by tossing French green lentils in a salad with chewy wild rice, toasted pine nuts, tomatoes and kale. Top with scallions, fresh herbs, crumbled feta and a drizzle of lemony vinaigrette for a really delicious and satisfying salad.

Lentils come in a rainbow of colors, each with their own characteristics. In general, the darker the lentil, the firmer the texture. Lighter colored lentils, like yellow and red, are quite mushy when cooked and best for soups. Brown lentils have a nice flavor but can get mushy if cooked too long. French green lentils (pictured above) are my favorite but closely followed by Black Beluga lentils which I often use with colorful squashes because of the striking color contrast. If you don’t normally eat lentils, here are Five Reasons why you should start:

PROTECT YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM – high in fiber
PROTECT YOUR HEART – significant amount of folate and magnesium
STABILIZE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR – full of complex carbohydrates
HIGH IN PROTEIN- the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans
IMPORTANT MINERALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS – good source of iron, magnesium and zinc

Wild rice is actually not really rice. It’s the seed of the water grass, Zizania. It has a wonderful chewy texture and nutty flavor that is really good in this salad, however it packs it’s own nutritional whollop. Wild rice is also a good source of protein, fiber, iron and copper as well as other minerals and vitamins including B complex. Together, they make this meal hearty enough to be a main course.

Should we even talk about kale? We all know it’s the reigning queen of leafy greens for it’s nutritional benefits, and rightly so. I used a bunch of red kale from my CSA box but lacinato (dino) or curly kale will work well too. Since kale is so fibrous, I removed the center rib and sliced the leafy green leaves into thin julienne strips. This preparation makes it easier to eat and allows the flavors to blend more easily since all the other ingredients are so small. I learned one unexpected benefit of using kale in salads instead of more traditional lettuces. I had some leftover salad which I stored in the refrigerator. Well you know what happens to salads that have already been dressed that sit in the refrigerator overnight… Two days later, I remembered the salad and went to throw it away but it still looked okay. I ate it for lunch and it was still surprisingly good. The kale held up really well. Who knew?

TIPS: I used two Roma tomatoes for this salad because they are easier to dice and have fewer juices and seeds than the larger Beefsteak or Celbrity types, however, any ripe tomato will work. If you aren’t a fan of wild rice, you can use a wild rice mix or substitute any kind of rice you like. A long grain rice cooked al dente will give better results than the stickier shorter grains.

Kale Salad with Lentils and Wild Rice

1/2 cup dry wild rice
1/2 cup dry lentils (green, black or brown)
1 large or 2 smaller tomatoes, finely diced
2 cups kale, thinly sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)

VINAIGRETTE

¼ cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsn lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Cook the wild rice according to package instructions (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered.

Cook the lentils according to package instructions but make sure they don’t get too soft. They should be firm enough to maintain their shape. Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered.

Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool

Wash kale and remove the thick center rib. Stack kale and slice thinly crosswise. Place in a large serving bowl
.
Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

Transfer wild rice, lentils, pine nuts and cilantro to bowl with kale. (Wild rice and lentils can be slightly warm but not hot)

Just before serving, toss with vinaigrette. Serve with crumbled feta or goat cheese, if desired.

Kale Salad with Lentils and Wild Rice

Servings: 4-6
Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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VINAIGRETTE

¼ cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsn lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Cook the wild rice according to package instructions (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered.
Cook the lentils according to package instructions but make sure they don’t get too soft. They should be firm enough to maintain their shape. Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered.
Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool
Wash kale and remove the thick center rib. Stack kale and slice thinly crosswise. Place in a large serving bowl.
Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
Transfer wild rice, lentils, pine nuts and cilantro to bowl with kale. (Wild rice and lentils can be slightly warm but not hot)
Just before serving, toss with vinaigrette. Serve with crumbled feta or goat cheese, if desired.