Massaged Kale Salad

Level of Difficulty: Massage skills a plus, but not required
Pots/Pans Used: 2

Ingredients

8 cups kale (destemmed and then ripped into bite-size pieces)
couscous
mozzarella Daiya cheese (optional)
bacon bits (optional)

For The Dressing

1 cup Vegan Mayonnaise
1/2-3/4 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Ground Oregano
3 Tbl Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce



Although I love eating massaged kale salads, I've never actually attempted being a kale masseuse myslef. Essentially, by massaging the kale, you are naturally breaking it down so that it is less tough, and easier to eat. Feel free to add more veggies into the mix. I would have loved to mix in some shredded carrots, however my produce drawer was really lacking the day I made this. Also know that you don't have to use all the dressing if you don't want to. It just depends on how creamy you'd like your kale salad to be. The dressing keeps well in the fridge to use in other recipes as well.

Start by combining all dressing ingredients except for the milk in a bowl. My recommendation is that you add the milk gradually because you may need more or less depending on what type of mayo you use. Whisk together until your dressing is the consistency of a ranch dressing. Put in the fridge to thicken up a bit while you make the rest of the salad. Start making your couscous. I made a box of couscous and ended up using about 1-1/2 to 2 cups. I recommend starting the salad once the couscous has finished cooking. Prep the kale and then place it in a large bowl. Add the dressing a little at a time. Massage thoroughly with your hands. You will see that the pile of kale will reduce in size by about half once it begins to break down. Once your kale is all relaxed and you've got it as creamy as you like, toss in the couscous and a sprinkling of bacon bits & mozzarella. The great thing about this salad is that it actually gets better the longer it sits, so feel free to keep it in the fridge and use as a side throughout the week!

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POM Wonderful

Sorry these posts have been going up slower than I would like lately, but I've been busy moving into a new apartment. No worries, that's over and done with and I have an even larger kitchen now to do my experiments in!
In other news...
POM wonderful was nice enough to send me a case of blueberry pomegranate juice in the mail to try out. Because I was already a fan of POM juice, I was really excited for it to arrive so that I could start trying it out in some recipes. I tested a few out, but these were definitely the favorites. Best part about them? You don't have to clean any pots and pans!

Pomegranate Vinaigrette


Level of Difficulty: no brainer
Pots/Pans Used: none

Ingredients

5 TBL POM blueberry pomegranate juice
3 TBL apple cider vinegar
1 TBL agave
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 TBL mustard
s & p

Combine all ingredients and whisk together. Serve over a salad with some sliced Gardein chik'n nuggets.


Pomegranate Lemonade


Level of Difficulty: see above
Pots/Pans Used: none!

Ingredients

(this is for a single serving)
1/2 cup lemonade
1/4 cup limeade
1/2 cup POM blueberry pomegranate juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
fresh strawberries and mint to garnish

I recently went to Olive Garden and they're featuring these new fancy lemonades which was the inspiration for this drink. I got a strawberry-mango lemonade and it was pretty amazing. All you do is combine ingredients lemonade through pineapple juice and serve with ice. Garnish with strawberries and fresh mint. Depending on the flavors you like best, you can mix up the measurements. You can also chop up an assortment of fruits and add them into the drink. Enjoy!... this drink compliments the Florida heat pretty perfectly.

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Chickpea & Artichoke Salad

Level of Difficulty:EASY
Pots/Pans Used: 1!

Ingredients

1 13oz can Chickpeas, drained
1 can marinated artichoke hearts
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil
sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing:
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
s&p

You're not crazy, your are in fact experiencing déjà vu right now. This is a recipe I posted when VP just started that I revisited for dinner yesterday and decided to re-work. If I can, I like to change up recipes rather than just copy them and paste them in a blog. So this is a recipe from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook that I decided to add a dressing to in order to mix things up. I'm not someone who normally opts to have a salad for dinner but this was so surprisingly hearty. It completely filled me up and I even had enough for leftovers. This could have really benefited from a squeeze of lemon, but I didn't have any on hand.



To start, put a large saute pan on medium-high heat with 1 TBL olive oil. Once hot, add the drained chickpeas to the pan. Move them around occasionally just to make sure they don't burn. You want them to be an even golden-brown color (will take about 10 min). Once they are golden, put them aside in a bowl. Next, drain the artichokes. Add another TBL of olive oil to the pan and then toss in the drained artichokes. Again, you want them to get a nice brown on each side. Once those are done, add them into the bowl with the chickpeas. Mix all the dressing ingredients together, pour over the chickpeas and artichokes along with the basil and toss up so that everything gets nicely coated. The original recipe calls for parsley so if your prefer that to basil, go for it. Top with sliced almonds for a nice crunch.

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Strawberry & Spinach Salad

( Sorry for the poor quality! My camera broke, so I had to use my computer's camera. When I can afford a new fancy camera, I'll re-shoot it :D)
Level of Difficulty: too easy
Pots/Pans Used: only 1 or 2 bowls

Ingredients

1 bag of spinach
Carton of strawberries, sliced
Toasted sesame seeds
Dill

Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, because it's what I had on hand)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard
2 tsp agave nectar


Let me start by saying that I am so not a salad person. I mean, salads are okay, but certainly nothing I ever look forward to. This however, is a salad of a whole different sort. This is my grandmother's recipe. It's one of those dishes that whenever you bring it to a gathering, people always ask for the recipe. The dill, strawberry and sesame seeds marry so well together. Not to mention, it pairs perfectly with the summer season!

Okay it's a salad, so you know it's simple to make and you probably don't need my guidance but just in case here's how I prepare it... In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together (you wont use all the dressing but you can always refrigerate the extra and use it again). Combine the strawberries, spinach and sesame seeds (up to you how much you want to use). Dress it all and mix well. I mix in the dill at the end. Fresh or dried dill will be fine. Like the sesame seeds, the amount of dill you use is completely up to you. I love serving this as a light lunch with a few slices of bruschetta. Okay... I don't know about you but I'm salivating! Enjoy!

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Wedge Salad

Level of Difficulty: Easy
Pots/Pans Used: 1!!!

Ingredients
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce
3 strips Smart Bacon, diced
1/2 tomato, cut into wedges
olive oil
Dressing:
2/3 cup non-dairy ranch dressing
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

I decided to try and make a vegan version of a classic wedge steakhouse salad. Traditionally they have a creamy dressing, gorgonzola cheese and bacon. Ideally, I would have made a dressing from scratch, but that requires a food processor (which I don't have). If I get one in the future I will try to remake this recipe with a homemade dressing. For now, a semi-homemade one will have to do. Not only is this salad surprisingly filling, but it tastes awesome!
Heat some olive oil in a small saute pan over low/medium heat. When hot, add the bacon. Saute bacon for only a few minutes, otherwise the texture will be all rubbery. In a bowl, combine dressing with nutritional yeast. Then stir in lemon juice, soy sauce and salt & pepper. Drizzle dressing over wedge of lettuce. Add tomatoes and sprinkle bacon and pepper on top. Seriously, it's THAT easy.

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