Spicy Thai-Inspired Kale Salad

The past three weekends have been majorly food-centred: weddings, birthdays, Easter…to be truthful it’s been going on for the past two months…or maybe there hasn’t been a break since Christmas… In light of the season of skinny jeans and tight sweaters I am feeling the need to lighten up a little.

Let’s have a little more balance around here readers, a few weeks of salads and complex, vitamin-filled nutritious stuff, shall we?

I’m not talking crash-diets, fad diets, or paleo anything; rather, I am talking about reducing my dessert every night habit to a once a week treat. I am talking about increasing my incidental exercise, squeezing in a few more weights sessions, and being more mindful in my food choices.

Don’t worry, this is not about to become a weight loss blog – I have a coconut ice recipe coming your way on Friday – I am just getting back on track to a thoroughly nourished life in the most delicious way possible of course.

This salad came at the beginning of the Easter feasting. Luckily, because I ate more than my fair share of brownies, cookies, and peanut m&ms… This Spicy Thai-Inspired Kale salad is filled with crunchy green kale leaves and raw capsicum, soft baked sweet potato and salty cashews. Everything is coated in a spicy thai-inspired dressing that soaks into every fold in the frilly leaves. I felt bright and light and full after finishing my lunch. The protein from the chickpeas and cashews keeps you full for hours. You could add some leftover cooked quinoa for a bigger protein boost and to make this a more substantial meal for dinner.

Gluten Free. Vegetarian. Serves 2-3. 

If you do not like kale try another dark leafy green or even baby spinach would work. To make this vegan replace the honey with agave syrup.

 Ingredients

• 1 medium bunch of kale
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 small red capsicum
• 1 small Lebanese cucumber
• 400 gram tin chickpeas
• 1/3 cup roasted cashews

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Thai  Seasoning
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400C). Peel and dice medium sweet potato. Spread out on a baking paper lined baking tray and roast for 30 minutes or until soft all the way through when pierced with a toothpick. Remove sweet potato from oven and allow to cool.
2. Rinse kale well and pat dry with paper towel. Cut thick rib out of each leaf and then roughly chop the leaves. Place in a large bowl.
3. Chop capsicum and cucumber into a large dice. Place into bowl with kale.
4. Rinse chickpeas well and add to bowl.
5. Once sweet potato is cool add to kale mix. Toss all ingredients well.
6. To make dressing place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk vigorously.
7. Add dressing to bowl and toss well so that all is coated.
8. Sprinkle cashews over the top and serve.
9. This salad will last well overnight in the fridge but will become softer as the dressing soaks into the leaves.

Chris is definitely not a kale fan, which is fine by me because I get it all to myself. Are you a kale salad fan? No? 

Anyone else trying to lighten up a little after Easter feasting?