A New Queen of Green

I have always considered myself a Swiss chard kind of gal. I love the buttery, soft texture of those delicious greens and "rainbow" chard is in a class of deliciousness all by itself. Well...in keeping with turning over some new leaves in 2010, there is a new Queen in town and it is kale. Oh my gosh..I ignored Her Majesty for so long! Ms. Kale looked rather unruly, curled up and stubborn...kind of like the my own head of hair that I have to deal with every morning. Who wants to deal with that in a food, too? Then, one day, I got a taste of a lemony kale and avocado salad and I was hooked, absolutely hooked...addicted, really and have been eating platefuls of it almost every day for two weeks. Yum...like candy or even ice cream, which for me is like saying, kale is almost its own food group!

Since my kale discovery, it has been kind of like wearing red and noticing everyone else who is also wearing red because now I am seeing all sorts of wonderful sounding kale recipes...soups, frittatas, quiches, and more salads. Here is a new one I gobbled up last night.

Queen of Green Salad

2 1/2 cups shredded or chopped kale (select fresh, tender-looking leaves)

1/4 cup toasted almonds

1/4 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese (no dye, please)

1/2 cup roasted, cubed butternut squash (any winter squash is good here or sweet potatoes)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

Grated pecorino or other hard cheese (optional and to taste)

Toss together kale, almonds, shredded cheddar and squash. Season to taste with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Place on 2 plates (or 1) and garnish with grated pecorino cheese. Savor every bite! Can serve 2, but I am making no promises there.

Oh, and while we are on "new leaves" for the new year, there are a couple of changes to this blog. I will be offering vegetarian recipes only and so now it is a "less wheat, no meat" blog and I also hope to expand on the "green-ness" with other tips for healthier people, healthier communities and a healthier planet. Have you got any to share??