A mother-daughter conversation on food and cooking (mostly)

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Kale Salad


I really love this salad, although looking at the recipe it doesn't seem quite right:  Mayonnaise dressing?
Somehow it's perfect, anyway.  I have a little left over for lunch and I'm trying to figure out how to get it all for myself and not share with Dad.  It's from the Arizona Daily Star.  I'm putting a link to the whole article here, but it may not work for non-subscribers.

I substituted cotija cheese for the manchego.  We always have cotija around and it's really useful for a garnish.  It's sharp, salty, and crumbly, but not too assertive.

Also, I massaged the kale pieces with 1 teaspoon salt first to break up some of the tough fibers.  I rinsed it and dried it before proceeding with the recipe.

Kale Salad

Serves: 6
For the dressing:
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the salad:
  • 1 large bunch (about 1 pound) Tuscan kale, stems torn or cut out, leaves torn into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots, julienned
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 ounces manchego cheese, grated
  • 1 Pink Lady apple, cored and cut into thin half moons
  • Ground black pepper
To make the dressing, in a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mayonnaise, sugar and salt. Add the kale and toss to coat well, then set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, toss again to coat well.
Sprinkle the apricots, pumpkin seeds and cheese over the dressed kale. Toss again to evenly distribute. Season with pepper and additional salt, if needed. Fan thin slices of apple over the top of the salad and serve.

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