I’ve been having some fun in the kitchen recipe testing for my upcoming 5-day Peri-Menopause Detox. If you are on the fence, maybe this recipe will excite you to join!
If you’ve never done a detox, I know the thought of it can be scary and overwhelming. This detox is all about simple, delicious, healthy foods. You will not feel hungry or deprived. In fact, quite the opposite, you’ll feel nourished and taken care of.
I love reverse engineering recipes from my favorite restaurants and adding a little bit of Urbanspice love to them.
My latest obsessions are Kale Salads. A lot of restaurants have them on the menu. They can be hit or miss because sometimes the kale is not finely shredded or massaged which makes it taste and feel like you are eating a bowl full of hay. Not fun. One that I do love and has never disappointed is the Kale Salad at Rancho Nicassio – a little restaurant tucked far in West Marin.
The salad also has cabbage, carrots, zucchini, sunflower seeds and dried cherries. I topped it off with an Almond Cilantro Dressing. (You’ll love the dressing. I wanted to just eat it by the spoonful!)
This salad is good on it’s own or paired with shredded chicken or shrimp.
A note to kale haters:
If you don’t like kale because it is too bitter or hard to chew, here are a few tips.
- When selecting a bunch, opt for one with smaller leaves. The bigger the leaf the more bitter the taste.
- Destem & chop the kale into bite sized pieces. For a raw salad, I think the chiffonade cut works the best.
- Massage your kale with a little salt and lemon juice. This starts to breakdown the cell walls and adds moisture which makes it easier to chew and digest. (Read how to destem and massage kale here.)
- Try baby kale. It is sweeter and less fibrous than mature kale. It also saves you time destemming and chopping.
- Substitute – don’t be miserable. If you really don’t like kale, opt for another dark leafy green. Swiss chard or collards are not as bitter and still provide the nutrition of kale. Spring mix salad greens also make a nice choice.
Shredded Kale Salad with Almond Cilantro Dressing
Serves 2-3
3-4 cups shredded kale* (1 bunch)
2 cups shredded cabbage
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup shredded zucchini
½ cup shredded beets (optional)
¼ cup dried cherries or cranberries (or fresh pomegranite for fall)
¼ cup sunflower seeds
Destem and chop kale into ribbons. Place in large bowl. In a food processor with shredding blade, shred the cabbage. Place in bowl with kale. Add juice of ½ lemon or lime and ½ tsp salt. Massage gently for a minute. Let sit while you shred remaider of veggies – carrots, zucchini and beets in food processor. Add these to kale. Add sunflower seeds and dried fruit. Toss to combine.
Almond Cilantro Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup
1/3 cup cilantro (packed)
2 tbsp almond butter (heaping)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice (or 1 tbsp water with 2-3 drops lime essential oil)
½ tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp sesame oil
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, until well combined. Slowly add in ½ cup olive oil until dressing is smooth. Add salt and pepper (start with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper).
Try it out, and if you like it, be sure to join us for my 5-Day Detox that kicks off on August 13 or August 20. Get the details here: 5-Day Peri-Menopause Detox