The past three weekends have been majorly food-centred: weddings, birthdays, Easter…to be truthful it’s been going on for the past two months…or maybe there hasn’t been a break since Christmas… In light of the season of skinny jeans and tight sweaters I am feeling the need to lighten up a little.
Let’s have a little more balance around here readers, a few weeks of salads and complex, vitamin-filled nutritious stuff, shall we?
I’m not talking crash-diets, fad diets, or paleo anything; rather, I am talking about reducing my dessert every night habit to a once a week treat. I am talking about increasing my incidental exercise, squeezing in a few more weights sessions, and being more mindful in my food choices.
Don’t worry, this is not about to become a weight loss blog – I have a coconut ice recipe coming your way on Friday – I am just getting back on track to a thoroughly nourished life in the most delicious way possible of course.
This salad came at the beginning of the Easter feasting. Luckily, because I ate more than my fair share of brownies, cookies, and peanut m&ms… This Spicy Thai-Inspired Kale salad is filled with crunchy green kale leaves and raw capsicum, soft baked sweet potato and salty cashews. Everything is coated in a spicy thai-inspired dressing that soaks into every fold in the frilly leaves. I felt bright and light and full after finishing my lunch. The protein from the chickpeas and cashews keeps you full for hours. You could add some leftover cooked quinoa for a bigger protein boost and to make this a more substantial meal for dinner.
Spicy Thai-Inspired Kale Salad
Gluten Free. Vegetarian. Serves 2-3.
If you do not like kale try another dark leafy green or even baby spinach would work. To make this vegan replace the honey with agave syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium bunch of kale
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 small red capsicum
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber
- 400 gram tin chickpeas
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Thai Seasoning
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and Pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C (400C). Peel and dice medium sweet potato. Spread out on a baking paper lined baking tray and roast for 30 minutes or until soft all the way through when pierced with a toothpick. Remove sweet potato from oven and allow to cool.
- Rinse kale well and pat dry with paper towel. Cut thick rib out of each leaf and then roughly chop the leaves. Place in a large bowl.
- Chop capsicum and cucumber into a large dice. Place into bowl with kale.
- Rinse chickpeas well and add to bowl.
- Once sweet potato is cool add to kale mix. Toss all ingredients well.
- To make dressing place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk vigorously.
- Add dressing to bowl and toss well so that all is coated.
- Sprinkle cashews over the top and serve.
- This salad will last well overnight in the fridge but will become softer as the dressing soaks into the leaves.
Chris is definitely not a kale fan, which is fine by me because I get it all to myself. Are you a kale salad fan? No?
Anyone else trying to lighten up a little after Easter feasting?
