Kale with a capital YUM

When I was a kid, I couldn’t even look at a vegetable without bursting into tears. My mom still likes to remind me that she couldn’t get me to touch any sort of vegetable with a ten foot pole. It’s safe to say I was a very picky eater. Ironically, for almost my entire life I would tell people that brussel sprouts were my least favorite vegetable without ever even trying them. Of course I blamed my hatred for this vegetable on their stinky odor.

Fast forward to 2017, I could go to the grocery store and fill my entire shopping cart with only brussel sprouts and I would be a happy camper. My love for vegetables has grown over the years and now I can’t imagine my life without them. With one exception, however, kale.

Prior to this week, I had only tried kale a handful of times and was not the biggest fan.

My initial thoughts of kale: dry, thick, wavy, bland lettuce.

So this Monday, I decided to go to Panera Bread on my lunch break and treat myself to something yummy. Eating out isn’t the easiest when you’re trying to stick to a plant-based diet. However, I chose the “modern greek salad”, a plant-based option, not paying attention to the specifics. If anyone knows my decision making skills, you know that it took me FOREVER to finally decide on this salad. So by this point, I was starving and eagerly waiting for wonderful salad treat.

When my name was called and I opened my to-go bag, I discovered two things: 1. I was still going to be starving after eating because the portion was MICROSCOPIC….”what is this, a salad for ants”. 2. IT HAD KALE. WHAT!?!?! I stood there and pondered my decision to go Panera and why the heck I ordered a salad with Kale. Dry, thick, wavy, bland. Butttttt, I was hungry so I sat down and decided to give it a try…

It turns out, I actually really like kale.

If you like kale, here is a simple salad recipe that is full of fall goodness. If you don’t think you like kale, still this salad a try-you might change your mind.

Roasted Everything Kale Salad

RECIPE RATING: EASY

Gather the ingredients…

-½ of a yellow onion, sliced and/or diced

-¼ cup sweet potato, cubed and roasted

-¼ cup butternut squash, cubed and roasted

-¼ cup cooked red quinoa

-¼ cup fresh sweet corn (cut off the cob)

-1 to 2 cups kale, washed and chopped

-1 to 2 cups fresh spinach

-a handful of pumpkin seeds

-your dressing of choice

Put it all together…

-Roast butternut squash and sweet potato cubes in the oven at 375 °F for approximately 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside until cooled.

-Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix.

It’s just too easy to pass up.

I tried a simple dressing on my salad-apple cider vinegar+olive oil. Refreshing, light and delicious!

#butternutsquash #pumpkinseeds #fall #sweetpotato #corn