Holiday meals are oh so delicious and often decadent meals of too much of a good thing, (fat, sugar, salt and refined carbohydrates). With a plant forward approach to menu planning you can enjoy the high flavor foods and still feel great afterwards.
Beautiful salads, either individual plated or served family style are a good first course. Include seasonal raw greens, vegetables, berries or fruits, sprouts and other high fiber & nutrient dense ingredients as the base of your salad. Make a delicious salad dressing or include a small amount of organic cheese, nuts or seeds to add crunch and texture. Local kale and organic red pears were the inspiration for this first course salad.
This recipe will feed 4-6 people.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch lacinato kale- stems removed and sliced into thin strips
- 3 Tablespoons- extra virgin olive oil
- each- Red pears- washed, core removed, cut into small dice
- 2 stalks- celery- cut into thin slices on diagonal
- 2 each- carrots- trimmed, peeled, cut into thin sliced on diagonal ( I used purple carrots)
- 1 lemon- juiced
- 2 Tablespoons- coconut amino’s
- Salt and pepper as needed
- Garnish- fresh spouts of your choice, pea, broccoli, sunflower or your favorite
- Optional- Extra sliced pears and toasted almonds
Method
- Place washed and sliced kale into large bowl, pour olive oil over kale and using your hands massage oil into the kale pieces until the kale is softened and tender, (this will take a few minutes)
- Add pears, celery, carrots, lemon and coconut aminos to kale and toss to combine.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Store kale salad in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To serve salad, divide into 6 portions on individual salad plates and garnish with sliced pears and sprouts.
Chef’s Notes:
- Substitute kale for baby spinach, bitter greens or other favorite mixed salad greens and toss all of ingredients together right before serving.