Big Kale Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

You may have seen my kale salad post last fall, and it's something that I've been incorporating more and more into my cooking, such as this healthy main dish. It's simply a huge bed of the kale salad with roasted vegetables and almonds on top, but it's so good, so beautiful, and so healthy that I thought I should share it. Believe it or not, it's actually one of my husband's favorite dishes for either a weeknight dinner or weekend lunch. Plus, it's one of those meals that leaves you both fulfilled and feeling good afterwards! I sometimes double the amount of roasted vegetables while I'm already making it and use it in another dish - such as over a mixture or quinoa & lentils or pasta with parmesan cheese. 

Big Kale Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables
Serves 2 main-sized portions


Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour


Kale Salad:

2 small or 1 large bunch lacinato kale, rinsed, leaves ripped from stems, and cut or ripped into pieces

1/4 c. freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. dijon mustard

1/2 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Roasted vegetables:
1 1/12 - 2 lbs. assorted root vegetables (I used carrots, celery root, red daikon, and golden beets), peeled and cut into ~3/4'' pieces
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. fresh thyme
1/2 t. kosher salt


1/2 c. toasted almonds (either buy them toasted or toast them yourself in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel/chop the vegetables while the oven is preheating and place in a medium sized bowl, then add the olive oil, thyme, and salt and stir to combine, then spread out on a sheet or roasting pan. Roast for approximately 45 minutes (no need to stir if they are in a relatively even layer).


Meanwhile, prepare the kale and grate the cheese. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together, then combine in a large bowl with the kale and cheese. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or for the entire time the vegetables are roasting (it's good to let the kale soften in the dressing a little bit).


When the vegetables are done, divide the kale between the two plates and top with the roasted vegetables and toasted almonds. Enjoy!

Almond & Kale Linguine

This dish was something I threw together the other night with some ingredients we had on hand and it turned out to be our favorite dish of the week. I had picked up some curly kale and thought that it would be fun to cut it up small to resemble curly parsley while also adding some extra nutrition to the pasta. I had some dried linguine (feel free to use either regular, whole wheat, or brown rice linguine) and thought I'd add in some toasted almonds to kick up the protein. This is a simple pasta but developed lots of flavor using some of the pasta water to make a light sauce and finishing with some fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese. It's a quick, easy, healthy dish that's perfect for a weeknight meal.

Almond & Kale Linguine
Serves 2 (can be easily doubled)

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

8 oz. linguine
1/2 bunch curly kale, washed, leaves removed from stems, and chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt

Boil pot of water for the pasta and add a few big pinches of salt. Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, if using salted almonds, simply toast in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant (don't let them burn!). If using raw almonds, toast and then drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of fine grain sea salt and stir to coast. Set aside.

When pasta is almost done, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 10 seconds, then add the kale. Saute for only about 1-2 minutes until it starts to wilt.

Reserve 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the skillet with the kale. Add the cheese, almonds, lemon juice, and 1 t. kosher salt, then pour the 1/2 c. cooking liquid over the dish and stir for a minute or two until it all comes together. Separate into bowls and serve with a little extra parmesan cheese.

Almond Butter Cookies

I whipped up these cookies using only a few ingredients, with one of my favorite things as the star - almond butter. They are particularly great because they're just sweet enough for a treat but also healthy enough to be a great snack. I would even bring these along with me on a hike or trail run. As an added bonus, they're gluten free since I made them with oat flour instead of whole wheat flour. You can find oat flour at almost every supermarket (I bought mine at Trader Joe's), or make it yourself by putting some rolled oats in a food processor and running it until it resembles a coarse flour. To add some extra interest (and texture), I rolled these cookies in chopped sliced almonds before baking. The agave nectar and almond butter combination does lead these to leak out a little bit of stickiness while they're baking - don't worry about this, it actually creates a nice caramelized bottom. I was also able to fit all of these onto one baking sheet since they don't expand much when baking, which makes these quick enough to make even on a weeknight.

Almond Butter Cookies
Makes 16-18 cookies

Active Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 10-12 minutes

1 c. creamy almond butter
1 egg
3/4 c. oat flour
1/2 c. cane sugar
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. fine grain sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 c. sliced almonds, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge for 30 minutes (you can also leave them in there longer if need be). Remove from the fridge, roll the dough into about 1-1 1/2'' balls, then flatten slightly with your hands, and roll in the chopped sliced almonds. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for at least a few minutes on the baking sheet to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.