My running partner recently introduced me to kale, and boy, am I glad. I started off gently, with braised kale, and then I went all in and made a big bowl of kale salad. Now I’m on my second in as many weeks. I took inspiration from two recipes, using the breadcrumbs and pecorino from this one, and the sliced apples from this one. Both recipes use a very lemon-heavy dressing, and I can see why. The aggressive flavor of the kale is overcome by the yet-more-feisty lemon, and the whole thing relaxes a little, like a cat that was trying to bite your eyebrow but gives up and sits on your lap instead. As the other, better, bloggers mentioned, this salad keeps well in the fridge, so it’s ideal brown-bag lunch food, particularly with some leftover chicken on top.
I love to throw in Kale with a pasta with wild mushrooms and garlic. It really adds a nice texture and holds its shape well, and really takes the dish up a notch. I find that other greens get a bit soggy if you keep them with the pasta overnight for a packed lunch, whereas kale holds its own pretty well. A bit of leftover chicken on top makes for epic noms