Holiday Chopped Kale Salad Food

MEAL PREP LOADED KALE SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with racks in the upper and lower positions.
• Place the sweet potatoes on a medium sheet pan. Place the chickpeas on a small sheet pan. Liberally drizzle both with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat then spread each into a flat, even layer.
• Roast the sweet potatoes on the upper rack and the chickpeas on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and shake each pan or toss the veggies. Now, roast the chickpeas on the upper rack and the sweet potatoes on the lower rack until the chickpeas are golden and crispy and the sweet potatoes are browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the veggies roast, make the dressing: In a 1-pint jar, combine the citrus juice, olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, both mustards and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified, about 30 seconds. Set aside until needed.
• Next, prep the kale: Remove the inner ribs from the kale by holding onto the bottom of each stem, pinching together the leaf and pulling up. Discard the stems and chop the leaves into 1-inch pieces.
• Transfer each ingredient to a separate container or bag and assemble salads, as needed.
• To assemble each serving: Place 2 handfuls of kale in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and massage into the kale until shiny and dark green. Next, add 1/3 cup roasted sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup each of the roasted chickpeas, chopped almonds and dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons crumbled feta and a sprinkle of scallions. Drizzle with a little more dressing then gently toss and taste for seasoning. At this point, throw in any of the optional add-ins.

HOLIDAY JEWELS CHOPPED KALE SALAD WITH MUSTARD-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Add everything to a blender, and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Prepare the kale: remove the leaves from the tough stems (discard the stems), then stack the leaves and cut into ribbons. Add to a very large salad bowl, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, and use your hands to massage for about a minute, until the kale has reduced a bit in size and is bright green and glossy.
• To the bowl, add all other ingredients, reserving a bit of each one to use as topping at the end.
• Pour over half the vinaigrette, and use your hands (or a big spoon) to mix everything together really well. Top with the reserved ingredients, drizzle a little extra dressing over the top and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Add walnuts, sugar, and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, give it a good stir, then turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the walnuts to the baking sheet. You want a little bit of the syrupy water to come with the walnuts onto the sheet pan, as this will add to the caramelization. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and lightly caramelized. They'll harden and get nice and crunchy as they cool.
• I like to store these in the freezer, or you can use immediately on the salad.