Massaged Kale Salad
One of the shows that I enjoy watching is Next Food Network Star. I thought they sent Brad home too early, and I was really starting to like Tom towards the end. I wasn’t surprised when Aarti won because I had seen it on Food Network Humor that FoodNetwork.com had leaked the winner. I decided to watch Aarti’s first episode to see how it went. When I saw her make this massaged kale salad, I was intrigued. And, since kale is something I’ve never made at home, this recipe would help me get something done off my 30 by 30 list.
I’m sure I’ve had kale in entrees when eating out, but like I said, I have definitely never bought it or done anything with it at home. I grabbed a big bunch at the farmers market and gave this recipe a shot. Hubby said that his mom used to make kale when he was young and he never liked it, so he was a bit apprehensive about trying this salad.
I’m sure you’re wondering how it was? It was delicious! Hubby said it was the best kale he’d ever had. The kale had a great flavor. It reminded me of a really hearty spinach flavor. The lemony vinagrette and the mango chunks provide a great brightness and sweetness to the salad.
AND, the best thing about this salad is that it keeps in the fridge! We had it the first night as a side dish with some Peppery Lemon Brown Sugar Salmon and the next day we both had some in our lunches. It didn’t get super soggy like a dressed lettuce salad would.
Massaged Kale Salad
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
1 mango, diced small
Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Directions:
In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.
Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.
Recipe from Aarti Sequeira
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
These pancakes look perfect! I don’t make pancakes that often, but this mix would be an easy throw together to keep in the freezer. Yum!
Great idea to freeze the mix. I have been making our pancake batter from scratch for a while now, and it’s nearly impossible to go back to the boxed stuff! They just taste flavorless and cardboard-y. I had been reluctant to make mix ahead of time because I didn’t want it to go bad. Thanks for the idea!
What a great idea to have a homemade pancake mix on hand!
A good substitute for buttermilk – since most of us don’t keep it on hand, but do have milk in the fridge:
1 TBS white vinegar with enough milk added to make 1 cup. Allowed to sit for at least ten minutes, this mixture will clot up and mimic buttermilk sufficiently for most recipes.
Those pancakes look amazing!! Oh my goodness.
i think it is a great idea about freezing milk, too. I buy whole milk for baking only so I need to do that.
Wow. Those look so good I might have to whip some up…..like…NOW.
http://www.simplysweeter.blogspot.com
You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar in the substitute for buttermilk provided by Nancy.
One thing to note about this recipe though. Not only is the buttermilk needed for the chemical reaction, but it also provides a great flavor to the pancakes that I don’t think you get from using the substitute. Also, buttermilk will keep for a very long time in the fridge since it’s acidic.
AB mentioned in his cookbook that there are only four thinks he will not make without buttermilk: cornbread, biscuits, waffles, and pancakes. I tend to agree with him.
What a great idea to make your own pancake mix and then when you want quick pancakes, you can have a healthy mix 🙂
Mmm, these look way better than a mix! Great tip to store the mix in the freezer too!
Yum! I love blueberry ‘anything’. Alton Brown recipes are always winners. If you’re looking for an even healthier pancake recipe, check out my ‘fluffy whole wheat pancakes’ on my blog. I mix batches of the dry ingredients and keep them in the freezer. Thanks for posting – I’m off to buy some blueberries! Oh, and I’m a new follower 🙂
These pancakes look amazing!! Bookmarked!
Hey Jen I am eating these pancakes at this very moment. They are so fluffy and filling! May I borrow this recipe for my blog and link it back to you??