Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with a Kick

Stop crinkling up your nose (yes, I can see you doing that).  I did use those 3 words in the same sentence.  Now say it with me: Raw Tuscan Kale.  And yes, I made them into a salad – a kale salad.  I get it though….the whole concept of eating kale grosses some people out, let alone eating it raw.  What about the bitterness?  What about how thick the leaves are?  What about….?  And what about….?  Enough with the questions – how about some answers?

Let’s take a look at the health factors found in kale.  It contains calcium, copper, potassium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.  As far as vitamins are concerned, it’s got vitamins A, C and a ton of vitamin K (these are the antioxidant vitamins).  The fiber content of kale also helps reduce cholesterol levels which can help to reduce the risk of heart disease.  (This benefit is increased if the kale is lightly steamed before eating.)

So raw kale is good for you, but what about the bitterness and those thick leaves?  I’m not a cow…I don’t want to have to chew this kale for 10 minutes just to swallow one forkful.  That’s where the different types of kale come into play.  For this salad I used Tuscan kale, which is also called Cavolo nero; Dinosaur kale; black cabbage or Lacinto kale.  The leaves of Tuscan kale are still thicker than lettuce, but it’s not quite as bitter as the curly leaf kale.  For a kale salad (that is using the kale raw) use this type of kale.  The others tend to be a bit too bitter to eat in their raw state.  But don’t shy away from them.  They all taste great cooked, and cooking causes the bitterness to subside a bit.  And…It’s available year round and not just because it gets imported from some faraway land that’s experiencing summer while we’re in the midst of the next Arctic freeze.  (Okay you, not me, I live in LA – if we get snow there’s a MAJOR problem.)

To enhance the flavors of the ingredients in this salad, I made a warm shallot vinaigrette.  I used apple cider to give it a nice acidic kick.  The other thing that a warm dressing does for this salad is help the kale soften up a bit.  In fact, after dressing the salad, toss to combine everything and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Unlike its lettuce salad counterparts, the kale salad doesn’t get all soggy and gross.  In fact, I had leftovers of this salad for lunch the next day and it was perfect – not soggy in the slightest.

There are single ladies out there who are happy about it and there are single ladies out there who are bitter about it.  Why so bitter?

Happy single ladies are totally content with the fact that they are not in a romantic relationship with anyone.  They’ve got plenty of friends, hobbies and activities to keep them occupied and fulfilled.  They’re open to the idea of being in a good solid romantic relationship but aren’t on the hunt for one.  Que sera sera.

On the other hand there’s the single lady that’s bitter about her situation and is more than happy to word vomit all over you with their shitty attitude.  Oh sure, they’ll tell you that they can’t be tied down, can fart whenever and where ever they want, never have to worry about the toilet seat being left up and don’t have to share the remote control.  But isn’t it funny pathetic how, in their next breath, they’re whining about how great they are and how much it sucks that they can’t find anyone to go out with them.

If Bitter Betty would get up off of her ass and go out and mingle, maybe she’d find somebody.  Sure, there’s internet dating (ugh) but that just allows her to sit on the couch watching someone else’s reality (which, no doubt makes her feel better about herself) and stuff her face.  Not exactly creating a very exciting reality for her.  But staying inside is a much easier option.  And adopting an air of self-righteousness disguises nothing to the rest of the world, although she’s doing a fabulous job fooling herself.

You can make up any excuse for your singledom, but odds are every woman that is in a good relationship could say the same thing about herself too.  So, nice try…but no one is buying that either.  If you’re tired of being single, then do something about it!  I know this sounds trite, but get involved in your community, go to the gym, stop having everything delivered to you and actually go to a store.  When you’re at the store smile, occasionally make eye contact with a guy.  Odds are, if you look approachable one of them will actually approach you and maybe ask you out.

Bottom line – quit your bitching, the rest of us don’t want to hear it.

Tags: kale, kale salad, raw kale, raw tuscan kale, Relationship Advice, tuscan kale