Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I feel like I've been a little late to the kale bandwagon, party, bruhaha, whatever you want to call it. The benefits of this powerhouse veggie are hard to ignore, no matter if you're a veggie lover or not.

• Source of ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) which is actually a FAT...in a LEAF. But it's a GOOD fat.


• More iron per calorie than beef.


• More vitamin A than any other leafy green (206% recommended daily vitamin)


• More calcium per calorie than milk


• And according to Shape.com, "many of its top health-promoting compounds are rendered more effective when you eat the stuff in combination with another food. Pair kale with fats like avocado, olive oil, or even parmesan to make fat-soluble carotenoids more available to the body. And acid from lemon juice helps make kale's iron more bioavailable as well."

After reading that last part, I've decided that this recipe from Bon Appétit is pretty tough to beat in the good-for-you department. Add some protein by the way of some grilled chicken and it may just be the most healthy thing you can eat on the planet.

Oh, and it's actually really delicious too!

~Leah

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (from Bon Apetit)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 17 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard


• 1 Tbsp minced shallot


• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced


• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded in food processor or with a knife OR bag of shredded brussels sprouts (usually around 10 oz)


• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided


• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped


• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.


2. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.


3. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.


4. Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Notes

Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.[br][br]FYI, Kale is so hearty that this is one of the very few salads that the leftovers can be saved and aren't a gross mushfest the next day...or two! Bonus![br][br]Shape.com also mentions that "According to the Environmental Working Group, kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. The organization recommends choosing organic kale (or growing it yourself!)."

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Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

I know there is a love/hate thing goin' on with Brussels sprouts. I even admit that they don't look hugely appetizing in our picture (I have since figured out that the The Food Network's photographers are big, fat cheaters when it comes to taking pictures. My Brussels sprouts were the pretty green like in their pic just after the blanching part. After I looked at the photos of my greyish looking, peeling a little bit sprouts, I even debated blanching new ones and just taking photos of those so MY Brussels sprouts could be a pretty bright green too. But  truth in advertising won out.) Anyway. I happen to be someone who loves them. So when I was watching an episode of Giada years ago and saw Brussels sprouts prepared with pancetta, I was all over it.

I'm assuming most of you know that pancetta is a form of bacon, but if you didn't...it is.  Another form of glorious bacon.  It's just not smoked. You can usually find it near your deli by all the fancy cheeses and meats or even at the deli itself. I love to make this dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas because I tell myself, "I'm providing a vegetable...a nice, healthy vegetable........[with 3 oz. of pancetta per lb. of nice, healthy vegetable...but all that healthy stuff cancels out the pork fat, right?]."

If you care enough about the Brussels sprout to try to turn your kids (or your spouse) onto it or are willing to give it another chance yourself, I highly recommend giving this a shot.
~Leah 

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Recipe Type: Side dish, vegetable

Author: Leah (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 3 oz. paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• freshly ground black pepper


• 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth (LOW-SALT– I made the mistake once of just using regular because it was what I had. BIG mistake. The pancetta is salty!)

Instructions

1. Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes and drain.


2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until it is starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

My times (except for the 4 mins for blanching) are a little longer than Giada's original recipe. I like to get the pancetta as crispy as I can get it and I prefer my brussels sprouts to be REALLY browned. So, you can go longer or shorter than the times I gave to get them to your own preference.

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