Shaved Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Everyone is sick. There is a nasty 4-week cold going around and I am doing everything in my power to prevent getting it. I'm gargling with warm salt water every night, drinking tea and honey, making sure I break a sweat and get outside, drinking a ridiculous amount of water each day... Call me crazy but I just really don't want to get sick.

Another step in the sickness prevention plan is loading up on vitamin C, which means I'm making an insanely fresh and delicious salad that is packed with it. Shaved kale, brussels sprouts, sunflower seeds, craisins and parmesan tossed in a tangy lemon-dijon dressing (with minced shallots!):

It's also good because I haven't made or eaten a salad in like three months. It's been meatball subs and hearty soups and cheesy casseroles and so much leftover Christmas chocolate I can't seem to get rid of even though I've had approximately five pieces a day.... So yes having a salad is good. Eating it made me feel energized and light and happy and plot twist I ate a meatball sub before I ate the salad but pretend I didn't tell you that. This salad is hearty enough with the nutrients and fiber from the greens & craisins, protein from the nuts, and of course cheese which is necessary on salads. I always get the craisins with no added sugar because they're fine on their own and why change a good thing.

Another wonderful thing about this salad is that it keeps well in the fridge for a whole week, meaning it's a delicious and convenient packable lunch for work! The kale does absorb the dressing overtime so you might need to toss a little extra dressing or oil/lemon juice on it to freshen it up again but it still holds it's crunch as it's a hearty leaf. The recipe makes a little extra dressing to save for later :)

Behold the glorious desktop lunch. It's a great salad with the perfect balance of flavors and textures. I'm always partial to a homemade dressing and I love ones with lemon juice and dijon. It's zingy and fresh and actually brings out the flavor of the veggies rather than smothering it.

To make this salad, you could cut/shave the brussels sprouts thinly by hand, or you could (and should) follow the recipe and throw them into the food processor for about two seconds because it will save you a ton of time chopping. Just don't go too crazy and process them into sand because that's not the ideal texture for your salad.

Enjoy this and stay healthy! Feel free to serve it with a protein for a hearty dinner.



Shaved Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch kale
6 oz brussels sprouts
1/3 cup Sunflower seeds*
1/3 cup Craisins*
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese*

Directions:

• In mason jar whisk lemon juice, shallot, garlic, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to the mixture to combine and set aside.
• An optional step to prep the kale and tenderize it a bit is to drizzle a bit of olive oil on it and massage the leaves.
• Remove large ribs from kale and chop very thinly (shaved texture). Put brussels sprouts in a food processor and process a couple quick times just to shred the brussels sprouts. Don't over process so it's grainy. 
• Mix kale and brussels sprouts together and toss with half of the dressing - save the rest for later to freshen the salad if you're storing it in the fridge for meal prep because the kale will absorb the dressing. If you don't want extra dressing just half the ingredients. You can mix in the seeds, craisins and cheese into the salad or top each salad after plating. These toppings will store fine in the fridge if you are storing it for later. 

*** Feel free to substitute a different nut, dried fruit or cheese on the salad. Toasted almonds, pistachios, apricots, cherries, feta, pecorino, goat cheese?!