Feel Good Monday Post: Rethinking March and Kale Salad with Roasted Beets

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to March! I must confess that historically it is not my favorite month. By now I am usually ready for spring and the beauty it brings with it which inevitably sets me up for being disappointed with March and its greyness (although today was gorgeous). This year, I am taking a new approach. How will I get ready for spring? My plan is to work on clearing out the piles of paper and other chores I have yet to get to this season. I have already started. I am giving myself 15 minutes a day of de-clutter time until I get through those piles. My plan is to be done by the time the warmer weather comes and calls me to be outside playing with my kids or in the garden. I am thinking of March as an opportunity to tie any loose ends that I have not gotten to this winter. Do you have anything you would like to clear before spring comes your way?

Here is a yummy recipe that will give us the nourishment we need to plow through March and all we hope to do! It mixes the flavor of bitter, sweet and has some nice texture too with the pignoli nuts. Enjoy!

Lysa

Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Beets, Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pignoli Nuts with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients for salad:
1 bunch of kale (washed thoroughly, stems removed and chopped into ribbon like pieces)
1 red onion (cut into finely sliced long pieces)
1 bunch of small beets, or 4 medium beets (scrubbed clean and quartered)
olive oil
sea salt
pepper

Ingredients for dressing:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp maple syrup or honey
sea salt to taste
pepper
¼ tsp mustard

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place beets into roasting dish.  Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Keep in for about 30-40 minutes or until tender (poke with fork to test). Move beets around a few times while they are roasting.
3. Put kale in bowl and coat with about 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle sea salt onto kale as well.  Massage the kale for about 3 minutes.  It should start to get softer and juicy.  Put in fridge and let sit.
4. To caramelize onion, heat skillet with a 1-2 count of olive oil (enough to coat pan).  Place onions in pan and sprinkle with salt.  Let sit on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until soft and browned.
5. To toast pignoli nuts, place in skillet.  Heat skillet with medium heat and let sit.  Move nuts around every few minutes until they are slightly browned and fragrant.  
6. To make dressing, put all the ingredients in a glass jar and cover.  Shake until mixed well.

7. When beets are ready, take kale out of the fridge and place in bowl.  Mix the warm onions and beets in bowl with kale. This should do the job of warming up the kale.  
8. Pour ¼ cup of dressing onto salad ( enough to moisten but not drown the salad).  Toss together and then sprinkle pignoli nuts on top.  

Serves 4-6