copy cat kale

i keep telling myself that all my posts don't have to be super long and drawn out every single time.  so, here's a little practice. hope you guys are having a wonderful hump day and week so far.

i enjoy looking up the recipes to some of my fav dishes.  1) to see just what goes into it and how many calories i'm taking in, and 2) to see if i can duplicate it and make it lighter/leaner.  1 bunch of kale is just 92 cents at the store right now- and people say healthy food isn't cheap!  hello! this bunch of kale lasts me about 3 days..  makes for a really huge bowl of salad.

this particular kale salad is like 4.99 a lb. at central market. i'd rather pay 92 cents. plus, they pretty much drown the kale in the dressing! way too much.

Orange Sesame Kale Salad

the stuff:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp LIquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp toasted almonds
• 1/4 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• crystalized ginger (optional)

do this:

wash your kale.just like any other fruit/veggie you bring home. wash it good.

then, tear it up.  i actually included some of the stems cause i like the taste and crunch.  it's not bitter like most stems either. dry the leaves as best you can- i don't have a salad spinner so i just blotted them with paper towels.

whisk the liquids together,

then set it aside.

chop up the crystalized ginger into small pieces. i like ginger, but i don't like biting into a huge chunk of it!  reminds of when i was preggo and trying to tame my nausea, ugh.  anyway, throw everything on top of the kale.

finally, add the dressing and toss.

HEB's recipe called for 2 tbsp of sugar, but i didn't use any. the orange juice provided enough sweetness.  kale is heartier and more filling than lettuce. have some.

*update*: you can throw the contents of this entire bowl in a heated wok and cook it for 3-5 minutes for even MORE flavor!!! try it both ways.

aaand we're done here. enjoy.

le