Swiss Chard is Good for full of vitamins and phytonutrients and anti-oxidants. Make it a part of your diet on a frequent basis.

Click here for 30 Low Carb Veggies with 75 Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Sauteed Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard sauteed with golden raisins, garlic, pecans, olive oil.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword swiss chard

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss Chard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons Pecorino or Parmesan freshly grated

Instructions

• Trim the tips of the swiss chard. Discard.
• Rinse, dry, and chop swiss chard. Cut the stems into a small dice. Cut the leaves larger, as they will reduce in size.
• If raisins are dry, soak in cold water for a few minutes to plump them.
• Heat frying pan prior to adding oil.
• Add oil and turn to medium heat.
• Add garlic cloves and sautè until golden. Remove and discard. Do not over brown.
• Add chard leaves and stem to pan and sautè until softened.
• Drizzle balsamic and toss.
• Add raisins and most of the pecans. (save some for sprinkling top before serving).
• Add Parmesan or Pecorino and toss.
• Season with red chili flakes to taste, and add salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle remaining pecans before serving.

The post How to Sautè Swiss Chard appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is one of those salads I  made over and over and over. It’s just that good and it’s a wonderful way to usher in the Fall with kale and apples dressed with a maple vinaigrette. 

Kale and Apple Salad is great with Maple Vinaigrette

Maple vinaigrette is easy to make and so perfect for a heavy tough green like kale. I  use maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.   

This is the perfect pot luck salad. It can be dressed with this cider maple vinaigrette and made ahead of time. Greens are royal produce and kale is king. I love it for it heartiness. It doesn’t wilt easily, making it nothing like spinach at all. It maintains a chew even when sautéed, and it stays very edible long after it’s dressed.

I added in a chopped sautèed sweet potato which was tossed with olive oil,  maple syrup and cayenne pepper. You can leave this out if you want your salad to be lighter.

Every single time I  bring this salad to a party, people want the recipe and there is none left. People that think they don’t like kale love this salad.

Kale salad is even good left over if you ever have any left over. 

Tell me, do you have a go to dish for carting to dinner parties or potlucks.

More Salads Good for Parties from Spinach Tiger

Festive Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Figs, Pears

Blue Cheese Salad Party Wedge

Caprese Party Salad

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Kale and Apple Salad with Raisins, Pecans, and a Cider Maple Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of lacinato or tuscan kale
• 1 apple in small slices with skin on
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 10 roasted walnuts or pecans
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to your liking
• 3 teaspoon maple syrup divided (one for sweet potato, one for nuts, one for dressing)

Maple Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple sryup can use a sugar free
• 2 tablespoons olive oil Start with one tablespoon and add as you need it

Instructions

• Carefully cut out the ribs of the kale. Rinse and dry.
• Cut into bite size pieces. Some people like kale finely chopped. That's an option.
• slice apples thinly with skins on
• toss walnuts or pecans with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
• Roast walnuts for 5 minutes at 375. Set aside.
• Toss kale with apples, raisins and nuts.
• Peal and cut sweet potato into cubes. Toss with olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and a teaspoon of maple syrup. Bake on baking sheet at 350 until done about 15 minutes. You can also saute on top of the stove.

Maple Vinaigrette Dressing

• Place maple syrup, mustard and vinegar, olive oil in blender or magic bullet. (I used my Vitamix).
• Toss salad with dressing. You may not need all the dressing.
• Make ahead. I made salad and dressed it two hours before eating it. The left over salad went into the refrigerator and we ate it the next day. It was still good.

The post Kale and Apple Salad with Golden Raisins, Maple Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Think about serving this spectacularly presented roasted chicken with a bread salad, arugula, nuts, cranberries, and squash for Thanksgiving instead of turkey.

The late Judy Rodgers brought  the simple roast chicken to international fame at the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. The first time I ate at the Zuni Cafe I had this dish, served for two, which is served with a bread salad, currants, and pine nuts.

It was so memorable, that I bought the Zuni Cafe Cookbook just for this one recipe.

I’ve probably made at least thirty Zuni style chickens in the last few years. It’s my go to for casual nights and company. One year I made two of them for Thanksgiving, complete with the bread salad creating my own twist of Autumn accompaniments. You could also make this Festive Harvest Salad. 

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN THE ROAST CHICKEN IS DONE?

The chicken is done at 165 ° F. Using an instant read thermometer, insert into the inner most part of the thigh without touching the bone. The juices should run clear.

My Culinary Heroes

A few years ago in early December Judy Rodgers passed away, and although I didn’t know her, I felt sad at the news, and grateful for how a chef I never got to meet touched my life. She studied cooking with Alice Waters, another one of my culinary heroes.

I have Alice’s book,  the Art of  Simple Food and the Zuni Cafe cookbook in my kitchen. This means a lot because most of my cookbooks are up in my office; only the really special books get to stay in the kitchen.

Holiday Roast Chicken

I always use a cast iron pan that is a little larger than my chicken so I can squeeze in carrots. You haven’t lived until you have had carrots caramelized in the chicken fat!

However, a roasting pan will work in a pinch and give you a lot of room for vegetables. It might not brown the chicken on the bottom as easily. Do not use a glass dish or stoneware, because your oven will be 450 degrees F. (230 degrees C.)

Thanksgiving Chicken

You might just consider chicken instead of turkey this holiday. Or perhaps, you still haven’t mastered the roast chicken. Once you try this special technique, you will never fret over roasting a chicken again, and you will be amazed as even the white meat will be tender and tasty, while the skin remains crisp.

Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken

Zuni cafe roast chicken is really easy; it just takes three days. Well not really, but let me explain.

First you salt the chicken and wrap loosely in plastic for three days. This is a dry brine, which tenderizes the chicken. You also take your hand under the skin and loosen it and stuff in herbs underneath. A jar scraper like this tool  works to get under the skin.  I usually do that the morning I’m going to roast it.

Whether you have 3 days or 30 minutes, you can still make this chicken.

I’ve done it using the three day method and I’ve done it last minute.  If you have a very good chicken, even 30 minutes works, but try to take at least 24 hours to salt that chicken. I highly recommend you purchase an air-chilled chicken. These roast twice as beautiful and tender as other chickens.

What is an Air-Chilled Chicken? 

It means exactly that. Chicken must be chilled to 40 degrees F. within four hours. Air chill blasts cold air during a a three hour process, instead of sitting chicken in chlorinated water. You will taste the difference and see the difference in roasting.

Did you ever notice when cooking chicken, it leaks water instead of fat? That is from chicken that is not air chilled. You do want that yummy chicken fat in the bottom of the pan. 

By the way, that’s how I brine my turkey, but I use a different unique technique for Roasted Turkey.

Take the chicken out at hour before roasting, and preheat the oven to a  very hot, 450 degrees F.  hot. Be ready for the smoke alarm to go off.

The Zuni Cafe makes their chicken in a brick oven, but I simply roast it in a cast iron pan. If you don’t have a cast iron frying pan, do put that on your Christmas List or order one right now.

This is the best part. Heat the pan for ten minutes and then put the chicken in the oven, breast side up and listen for the sizzle. Depending on size, the chicken takes about 30 minutes on each side, maybe less if the chicken is under 3 pounds.

Let’s Review How to Roast a Zuni Cafe One Hour Chicken

1. Purchase a Four Pound Chicken (Air Chilled preferred)
2. Salt and cover with plastic for three days (one day works too)
3. Take out an hour before roasting. 
4. Loosen Breast skin. Place herbs underneath. Sage or Rosemary. 
5. Heat oven to 450 Degrees F. or 230 C. 
6. Heat cast iron pan for ten minutes. 
7. Dry chicken with paper towels. 
8. Place on hot cast iron pan. Listen for sizzle.
9. Roast for about one hour, until chicken reaches 165 degees F. 75 C. 
10. Rest chicken ten minutes before carving. 

Make Bone Broth with the Bones

Ideally, you want a very good chicken. I wait for the organic whole chickens to go on sale and grab them. It’s worth it. Once the chicken is carved, make bone broth.

Get out your crock pot and put the chicken carcass in cold water. Cook on low for twenty four hours. You will have nutrition and a good stock for later. Freeze in muffin tins and place in plastic bag. Use with the next chicken to make a gravy or a sauce. Make a chicken pie with the leftovers.

This is how I cook, always thinking about the next meal and how I can use everything to make life deliciously easy.

More Ideas for One Hour Roast Chicken

Italian Roasted Chicken Cacciatore

Roast Chicken with Figs

Ten Things to Make with Left Over Chicken

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Thanksgiving Roast Chicken, Zuni Cafe Style

A twist on Thanksgiving, make a chicken in less than hour adapted from the Zune Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Chicken

• 1 4- pound organic chicken
• salt
• fresh herbs such as rosemary sage, thyme (I used all three)

Bread Salad

• 8 oz. Tuscan bread or similar peasant style chewy bread with crusts cut off torn in pieces
• salt freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or pecans or nuts of choice
• 1/2 pomegranate optional
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins or dried currants
• arugula or other green such as frisee
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or as needed
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth or lightly salted water
• 1/4 cup slivered scallions
• 2-3 garlic cloves

Instructions

• Three days in advance (can be less) clean chicken, salt inside and outside. Loosen skin between breast and as much as leg and thigh you can without ripping skin.
• Wrap loosely in plastic wrap or plastic bag. Refrigerate.
• Take chicken out one hour before roasting.Stuff chicken with herbs underneath the skin.
• Preheat oven to 450 F. If making the bread salad, now is a good time to toast the torn bread pieces.
• Heat a cast iron frying pan in oven for at least 10 minutes. You can use a baking sheet, but cast iron pan is perfect for this high heat.
• Put chicken in heated pan, breast side up.
• Turn chicken over after 25 minutes, at which time chicken should easily yield. If not cook a little longer.
• I like to turn the chicken back over for the last five minutes. Chicken should be golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before carving.

Bread Salad

• This can be made prepped while chicken is in the oven.
• Brush bread with olive oil. Toast bread and nuts until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Combine olive oil with champagne vinegar.
• Put currants or raisins in red wine vinegar to moisten. Set aside.
• When ready to assemble toss bread and arugula with olive oil mixture.
• Toss bread with olive oil mixture.
• Saute scallions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add currents or raisins and add to the bread salad.
• Drizzle some of the pan juices (from the chicken) onto the bread salad. Season with salt.
• Put chicken on platter with bread salad.
• Serve with optional pomegranate garnish, and roasted squash.
• Baked squash recipe can be found here.

 So tell me, do you have a culinary hero and do you always have turkey for Thanksgiving? Would you consider a Thanksgiving chicken?

The post Holiday Roast Chicken, Zuni Cafe Style with Bread Salad appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is the perfect salad to bring to a party or serve with a rich or fatty meat, and it can be made in advance.

To add a bit of heft, I added in some kale, which gives a beautiful darker green contrast.

To add a bit of sweet, I added in some gala apple. You can make this more tart by adding in a granny smith apple.

To add a change in texture, I added in some golden raisins. You can skip this or replace with cranberries or dried cherries. If you want to skip the sugar, you can skip the dried fruit.

To add more flavor and crunch, I added in some toasted almonds. You can change the nut to pistachios, hazelnuts, or even peanuts.

To make this exciting, I added in shaved pecorino romano, adding saltiness and tang.

The important part of this recipe is shaving the brussels or using a very sharp knife to slice the brussels quite thin. I use this inexpensive mandolin from OXO to do the job. Be careful though and use the holder.

The other important part is the acidic vinaigrette. This you need to keep.

The Pros of a Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

• You can make it ahead and dress it ahead.
• You can take it to a party or potluck. It keeps its crunch.
• It brings a balance to fatty meats.
• It’s delicious.
• It’s a super food salad.

Play around with Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

• You can leave dried fruit out for a keto/low-carb choice.
• Change the nuts to pistachio, walnut or peanuts.
• Add pomegranate for a holiday twist.
• Add goat cheese instead of pecorino.

More Salads with Brussel Sprouts

This is not the first time I put brussels sprouts into a salad with kale. This recipe makes the brussels sprouts the star, but here’s a winter kale salad with a smattering of brussels sprouts where kale is the star,  and walnut vinaigrette, which would also work well here.

Here’s an apple and brussels salad with pancetta and corn bread croutons.

One of the best salads I ever made that is slightly more complicated is this red beet pesto and brussel sprout salad.

More Brussels Sprouts Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Brussels Sprout Salad

A salad of shredded brussels sprouts, apples, almonds, kale.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pint brussels sprouts cleaned sliced thinly
• 1 apple sliced into apple sticks
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt OR to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons shaved pecorino romano cheese

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar more as needed
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Wash and trim brussels sprouts.
• Cut thin strips cross wise.
• Cut apples into strips. Gala is a good choice, doesn't brown.
• Toss brussels sprouts and apples with vinaigrette.
• Take the thick rib out of the kale, if using Lacanato (my choice). Chop into bite sized pieces.
• Toast almonds in oven for four minutes.
• Mix shaved brussels sprouts, apples, raisins, kale, and almonds.
• Toss with just enough vinaigrette
• Add shaved Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Season with salt and pepper

The post Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. Nutrient dense, beautifully green, with a versatility that spans sides, soups and salads.

Bacon and broccoli salad hits all the right texture and flavor notes for me. Bacon adds just the right amount of saltiness. If you use a smoky bacon, all the better. I also like to add in golden raisins for sweetness and toasted sliced almonds for crunch. You can use any kind of dried fruit, such as cranberries. You can exchange the almonds for nuts of your choice.

The problem I’ve had with broccoli salad bought at markets or salad bars is the unnecessary sweetness and amount of sugar. I also find the extra large pieces awkward to eat. I cut the sugar using some honey mustard instead and made sure to cut the broccoli into pieces a fork can grab.

Does bacon and broccoli salad have carbs?

One cup (91 grams) of raw broccoli contains 6 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.  This bacon and broccoli salad can be made very low carb by eliminating the golden raisins. You can leave those out, or just add a few.

As for dressing, I avoid adding sugar, but use some honey mustard, which has minimal carbs.

Do I cook broccoli for broccoli salad?

No, while, I’ve seen a few recipes that cook the broccoli, I don’t recommend that for this particular salad.

The best part of broccoli salad is the crunch. I do not pre-cook broccoli for broccoli salad. You want to make it at least six hours in advance so that it marinates in the dressing which will slightly soften the broccoli. You can eat this two days later if you have any left.

What Part of the Broccoli do I eat and use for Bacon and Broccoli Salad?

When I make my bacon and broccoli salad, I trim the broccoli of the big stems and cut it into true bite sized pieces.

While I trim off the ends, I will use as much of the broccoli as possible, which includes the stems. You can choose not to use the biggest parts of the stems and just use the florets, but there is nutrition in all of the broccoli parts and the stems are edible. Sometimes I take the bigger parts of the stems and feed them to the chickens at my friend’s farm.

If you love broccoli and all things veggie, check out the my post on 30 low-carb vegetables, which include 75 Spinach Tiger Recipes.

If you love raw salads as much as I do, you’ll want to check these out from Spinach Tiger.

Raw Red Cabbage Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Raw Cauliflower Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Disclosure: Spinach Tiger is an Amazon Affiliate, earning a small commission, but does not affect price.

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Bacon and Broccoli Salad

Raw Broccoli and Bacon Salad, with Golden Raisins, Toasted Almonds and Crispy Bacon.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 6 cups raw broccoli cut in bite sized pieces
• 6 pieces bacon
• 2 large shallots minced
• 1/2 cup roasted sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 cup honey mustard dressing recipe below
• Honey Mustard Dressing
• 3 tablespoons honey mustard
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions

• Rinse broccoli. Trim ends. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Cut bacon into lardons, cutting 1/4 inch pieces across. Then fry until crispy.
• Toast almond for about 4 minutes until nearly golden. Careful not to burn.
• Toss all ingredients together.
• Honey Mustard Dressing Instructions
• Make Salad dressing by putting all dressing ingredients in jar and giving a good shake. Taste for your own preference. You will want to have a sharp acidic taste which will calm down during the marination process. I use enough to cover all the pieces. Save what's left over. You may want to add more in after refrigeration.

Notes

If you are eating low carb or keto, leave out the raisins.

The post Paleo Bacon and Broccoli Salad, Honey Mustard Dressing appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I named these cookies Goldilocks’ Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies because after many tries these are just right. I wanted an oatmeal cookie made with whole grain spelt flour because it’s a lot healthier. The trick, however, is that spelt flour doesn’t necessarily bake cup for cup with white flour.

When making the first batch, I adapted this recipe from Thomas Keller and the cookies were too wet. Goldilocks said, “this cookie is too wet, too buttery, too sweet.” They flattened out and she likes her cookies puffy, and chewy. I did some nerdy baking research and discovered that spelt flour doesn’t absorb liquid in the same way white does and, thus, the flat cookie, which tasted good, but wasn’t what I was looking for. On the second batch, I thought I would be clever and add in more spelt flour. I added too much and Goldilocks said, “this cookie is too dry.” Even the kids wouldn’t eat them. On the third batch, I simply added in one more tablespoons of spelt flour, decreased the sugar and Goldilocks said, “these are just right.” She ate them all, leaving Mama Bear and Papa Bear with no oatmeal cookies, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Baking with Spelt Flour

Spelt is an ancient grain, with a hard husk that protects it from bugs and the need for pesticides. Even if a person isn’t wheat sensitive, spelt is a healthy choice to consider, as it is higher in protein, easier to digest, higher in fiber and has many other benefits that make it a better choice than wheat.

Unlike wheat, in which the gluten gets stronger as you mix it, the gluten in spelt gets weaker. It takes a little practice to cook and bake with, because typically our frame of reference comes from working with wheat. It’s naturally darker (unlike bleached white wheat) and naturally nuttier.

If you substitute it cup for cup, don’t expect the same results. Although spelt flour is higher in protein than wheat flour, it tends to spread out more as it doesn’t absorb liquid the way white flour does. To correct this, I added a little more flour to the mixture, which worked out well. In other baking products (cakes, muffins) I would decrease the liquid a bit.

I like baking and cooking with spelt. Recently I perfected my spelt pancake recipe here.

So how do they taste? What I love about these cookies is that before you actually bite into the chewy oatmeal cookie, you smell it. They are full of cinnamon and once it has baked with the butter, it smells heavenly.

I especially love the texture. These are more oats than flour which along with brown sugar adds to the chewiness, but they are not dry. If you want the original recipe which I adapted from Thomas Keller, using white flour and more sugar and dried cherries, go here. For another healthy twist on oatmeal cookies you might like these made with dried plums and rosemary, go here. 

Tell me, what’s your favorite way to eat oatmeal cookies?

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Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Made with Spelt Flour

Oatmeal cookies made with Spelt Flour, Golden Raisins, the best oatmeal cookie I've ever eaten.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 33 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole grain spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (154 grams) (see notes)
• 1 egg /
• 1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (do not use instant
• 1 cup golden raisins

Instructions

• Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt together in a bowl set aside.
• Cream butter at medium speed.
• Cream the sugar with the butter until well incorporated.
• Add the egg.
• Add the vanilla.
• Add in the oats, mix well. Normally, one would add the flour mixture first, but spelt flour should not be over mixed, as the cookies will get tough. After adding the oat, add the flour mixture.
• Add in raisins.
• Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, (depending on what size cookies are). Check cookies at 15 minutes.

Notes

One of the readers here added 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and loved them.

The post Goldilocks’s Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Made with Spelt Flour appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Tuscan Kale Salad with raisins, almonds, Pecorino, all dressed up in a lemony salad dressing might make one ask what the fuss about kale is all about.

Kale is trendy. Kale is healthy. Kale is a super food. Kale is here to stay. Kale is versatile.

These are all true statements. But notice that I didn’t say kale tastes good and I’ll tell you why.

Kale, in and of itself, is a rough, tough, grassy green, friendlier than turnip greens or mustard greens, but not as friendly as raw spinach. However, when marinated in a salad dressing, I find it superior to spinach for a salad. Raw spinach sometimes leaves a film in your mouth and cooked spinach cooks down to nothing.  Kale does neither. Also, Kale can be dressed hours in advance, and it holds its shape. Even overnight.

Make a kale smoothie or put kale in the right  salad dressing  and kale is transformed.

While much of God’s good produce can be eaten all by itself when it’s picked, such as a carrot or an apple, kale needs to dressed with a bit of fat and acid. Once, kale is understood and properly attended to, it takes on an unusual seductive charm.

Here in the Southeast of America, kale has become the “it” salad. It’s hard to find a restaurant that doesn’t serve it, and this salad was featured in the supper club I participated in. Kale has gone mainstream in an era of people rushing to eat sensible farm food that can be elevated to gourmet status. Kale is performing well with its new found popularity and nearly every day I hear about a convert, someone who used to hate kale and now eats it all the time. (I was one of those).

The Tuscan Kale Salad

This is a sexy kale salad because the salt in the pecorino and the heat in the cracked chili pepper mingle together with the acid in the lemon to make you want to take one more bite and then one more bite. It’s similar to the kale salad I made here, but I added in pecorino cheese and raisins for texture. This is the side salad to serve when you’re grilling boneless chicken breast. The aroma of toasted almonds and the lemony dressing and Pecorino hit your nose first. The almonds give crunch, the raisins some sweet chewy texture and the pepper flakes add zing, while the shavings of Pecorino Romano bring in perfection as yet another layer of flavor.

This is so good, you might just want to add in some chicken or shrimp and call it a main course summer dinner.  Be sure to use genuine Pecorino Romano and leave it out for at least twenty minutes before you shave it. It’s very salty and flavorful. You can use a good Parmesan as a substitute, and on the milder side, even a Manchego cheese would work. It won’t have the same bite as a Pecorino Cheese, but goes well with a lemony dressing.

So tell me, have you gotten on the kale band wagon yet? Do you have a favorite kale salad? Leave a link if you do.

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Tuscan Kale Salad, Raisins, Almonds, Pecorino, Lemony Salad Dressing

How Italians eat a kale salad, olive oil, lemon, toasted almonds, raisins, chile flakes with a zesty lemony dressing, showered with Pecorino Romano

Course Salad and Salad Dressing

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Author Angela Pomone Roberts

Ingredients

• SALAD DRESSING
• 1 small clove garlic cut in quarters
• 1 tablespoon of lemon
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
• 1 one bunch of Lacinato kale ribs removed, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup golden raisins regular raisins or even dried cranberries will do
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1 ounce of Pecorino Romano Cheese
• sea salt
• black pepper

Instructions

• dd garlic clove and chile to olive oil and let sit for twenty minutes or longer. Remove garlic. Mix vinegar and lemon. Slowly add olive oil to lemon mixture.
• Toss chopped kale leaves with half of the dressing. Add more as needed. add in raisins, toasted almonds.
• Using a mandolin or cheese grater, slice paper thin slices of pecorino over the salad.
• Season with salt and pepper.

The post Tuscan Kale Salad, Raisins, Almonds, Pecorino, Lemony Salad Dressing appeared first on Spinach Tiger.