We’ve been determined to continue our little Kale crusade for a while, and it finally happened! It’s amazing in a way that this dish ever came to be because fate seemed dead set on thwarting me. Let me explain. We stopped at our CSA on Saturday (the day I had earmarked for this dish) and bought kale. Then, my wife reminded me that there was a fireworks display and that we would get takeout or find a food truck. Sunday, we had a family cookout, and most people there don’t like kale, so it would have been a poor choice. Monday, we had a pot-luck at a friend’s, and salad was already covered. Tuesday looked to be the day that I could finally make this dish a reality…and then while I was outside for a moment, Sadie (our Labradoodle) went up onto the counter and scarfed down both raw chicken breasts. Finally, Wednesday, I was able to keep Sadie and all other external factors at bay and make this salad come true.
Anyway, onto the dish at hand: Unlike in past kale applications, where we cooked the kale and added a lot of other spices and flavours to it, we let the hearty leafy green be the star of this dish, and we served it raw. Of course, we dressed it up a bit…but it was very obvious that it was kale. If I’m being honest, I was a little nervous when I put the bowls down in front of my family…but the risk paid off, as there were no leftovers in front of anyone after the meal!
We served our salad as an entree after many days of heavier food and pot-lucks over the holiday weekend…but this would also go well as a side dish (with or without the chicken).
Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Kale
- Creamy Caesar Dressing (or make your own…we did not venture that route)
- Chicken Breast (we grilled ours, but you can also use precooked chicken)
- Red Onion
- Grape Tomatoes
- Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Croutons
Method:
- Preheat your grill, and cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Give the chicken a quick oil spray, and then place on the grill. Cook for 8-10 minutes per side until the thickest parts reach an internal cooked temperature of 165 degrees F.
- As your chicken cooks, turn your attention to your veggies!
- Cut your kale away from the stalk, and discard the stalk. Then, slice your kale into ribbons, and put it in your bowl(s). Now the odd part: Massage your kale to break down the cell walls and soften it a bit.
- Dice your red onion, and add it to your kale.
- Pour some of your dressing into your kale/onion combo, and fold it together to combine and coat your kale thinly.
- Slice your grape tomatoes in half.
- When your chicken is done, remove from the grill, and slice it. Add the slices to your salad (either strewn about or in a line).
- Place your tomatoes and croutons around your chicken.
- Add a little more dressing for good measure, and then sprinkle on your Parmesan cheese.
- Plate, devour, and Enjoy!
