fruity shredded kale salad, for a crowd / December 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

fruity shredded kale salad, for a crowd | dolly and oatmeal

i may have come to the massaged kale game a few years too late, but can a girl get points for showing up eventually?? i was initially put off my massaged kale salads because of a bad experience i had with one a few years ago. perhaps that restaurant was having a bad day, or maybe my senses weren't up to par, but the kale was super tough and hard to swallow. i specifically remember guzzling my water to get the curly itchy kale down my pipes. since then i've been completely turned off. however, a few months ago i was developing a recipe for a client who wanted to pair their granola clusters with something savory. i knew i needed a substantial and hearty green, something that could cut through the sweetness. and that's when i overcame my irrational fear of massaged kale!

along the way i've not only come to tolerate a kale salad, but absolutely love and crave it on most days! i've found that a sufficient amount of massaging action, and a good period of rest really lets the kale chill out, relax a bit, and become more tender. i also learned that a really tasty and substantial dressing goes a long way. i tend to go with a creamy base, either tahini or dairy-free yogurt, just to give it another texture. while most days i add some form of grain or protein to the salad, today i wanted to add some of cold weather's most sweet and colorful fruit. the idea was to add an even ratio of kale to fruit to make somewhat of a savory fruit salad ;) with the holidays and all the festivities around the new year, i thought a mountainous bowl of this salad was appropriate for some celebratin'! i love making this the day before i serve it - the fruit absorbs a good amount of the dressing beautifully, while the kale becomes suuuper soft and almost delicate. it most certainly has become a new favorite around here! what are some of your go-to holiday dishes to serve to a crowd?

happy holiday season! xo

*and if you didn't see my last post, my cookbook (over in the right top corner ---->) is available for pre-order!

Fruity shredded kale salad | dolly and oatmeal

fruity shredded kale salad (gf + v)

| serves 6 to 8 as a side |

creamy shallot dressing

2 shallots, roughly chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dairy-free cultured yogurt (i use this one)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
freshly ground pepper, to taste

salad

2 bunches kale, shredded
salt and fresh pepper
2 to 3 clementines or satsumas, peeled, segmented, and sliced in half
1 large asian pear
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

method

to make the dressing, combine the chopped shallots, vinegar, and salt in a shallow bowl for 10 minutes, until the shallots have softened a bit. then, in a food processor or blender, combine the shallot and vinegar mix with the remaining ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined. taste and adjust if necessary. transfer to a lidded container until ready to use. dressing can be made a couple days in advance.
to a large bowl, add the shredded kale; season with a couple pinches of salt, and some fresh pepper to taste. add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of dressing and use your hands to massage the kale for at least 5 minutes (until your hands are adequately green in color!); the kale should be looking darker in color and feel more tender. let the kale sit for another 10 minutes.
add the fruit and another tablespoon or 2 of the dressing and toss until incorporated. serve the salad right away or refrigerate it for up to 1 day in advance. (if refrigerating, i suggest taking the salad out at least 2 hours before serving, letting it come to room temp.)

enjoy!

more crowd-pleasing recipes:

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf) / November 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf) | dolly and oatmeal

kabocha biscuits (v + gf) | dolly and oatmeal

this chili is a variation of a recipe that i've been making for years - plentiful, warming/soothing, and super substantial. i guess there's some nostalgic here, as it was one of the first meals i made when i moved out of my parents house and into my own apartment. it was a meal i could be proud that i was able put together, and something that would feed and nourish me all week long. and when me and frank moved in together we would prepare it together too - summer squash chili in the warmer months, and a sweet potato or winter squash variety in the cold winter months. it's the kind of a mildly labored preparation that encourages cuddling up to a hot stove, as wind gusts find their way through the crevices in our windows. i generally serve a chili like this over a healthy mound of starchy rice, but there's this biscuit recipe that i've been working on for quite some time that i was super excited to pair with this chili pot, but also to share with you all!

the biscuits are a slight modification on a recipe from my cookbook (!!!, more on that later!), and they're kind of my favorite thing to make these days. first of all, they're all the "free's": gluten-free, vegan, soy free, etc., etc., and they check off two of my requisite biscuit boxes: tender and flaky. so, if i lived in a world where everyday-eats and thanksgiving collided, this would be my go-to. but if you're not into chili for a thanksgiving alternate, scrap it and just make the biscuits! they can be served alongside basically anything or on their own (i'm pretty sure me and frank ate an entire serving for dinner one night with a side of broccoli). excuse me while i sneak away and go make another batch ;) also, i've updated the sidebar of the blog for you all (--->), with some of my favorite thanksgiving-ish dishes!

wishing you all a cozy, peaceful holiday. i'll catch you in a couple of weeks! xo's!

sweet potato, black lentil + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits | dolly and oatmeal

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf)

if you don't have kabocha squash on hand any other winter squash or sweet potato puree will work as an alternative. and both canned or homemade puree can be used for the biscuits. for the chili, feel free to sub in a diced winter squash variety or a root vegetable like parsnips/carrots, etc., or use collards for the kale, or quinoa instead of lentils.

biscuits

| makes 6 two-inch round biscuits |

1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1 tablespoon mixed herbs (i used freshly chopped thyme + oregano)
2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup kabocha puree*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
extra almond milk, for brushing (or, if dairy-free, you can also use an egg wash)

chili

| serves 4-6 |

3 shallots, diced
1 large sweet potato (or 2-3 small sweet potatoes), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked papprika
4 large kale leaves, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup chopped parsley, extra for serving
1 cup cooked black beluga lentils

*to make the kabocha puree, preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. slice the squash in half and rub the cut side with a bit of olive oil. place the squash half facedown on the baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is tender. let cool completely before using.

method

biscuits

preheat the oven to 425°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. whisk together the flours, arrowroot, herbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper to taste. in a separate bowl, whisk together the kabocha puree, milk, oil, and vinegar. using a rubber spatula to mix the wet ingredients into the dry until dough begins to come together, then turn it out onto a floured surface and use your hands to bring the dough together to form a rectangle with a 1-inch thickness. use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and punch out 6 biscuits, re-rolling as needed. brush the tops and sides of the biscuits with almond milk (or an egg wash) and bake, rotating halfway through, until the tops and edges of the biscuits are golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. serve the biscuits warm.

chili

heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, once the pot is hot, add the shallots and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. add the sweet potato and garlic and stir, saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. add the crushed tomatoes, water, and spices and bring it all to a simmer; cover the pot and turn the heat down to a low simmer, cook until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced to half and the chili has thickened considerably, about 30 minutes. then add the kale and parsley and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. lastly, turn off the heat and add the lentils, stir until combined.
plate the biscuits and cut them in half, spoon a helping of chili between the biscuit halves and serve with a few extra pinches of chopped parsley.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

mung bean-leek burgers w/ shiso + chili mayo

green mojitos / July 1, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

so i didn't have a backyard garden market this weekend (darn you torrential rain!), BUT i did make use of lots of the kale and mint we've grown back there to make some major green juices, and then there's that bulk-sized batch of kale-basil pesto i made that we're still eating our way through. we also managed to clean up more of the yard, mainly the part all the way in the back that was composed of dirt, bricks, more dirt, and a really overgrown but charming potting table. frank leveled out all of that dirt, covered it with mulch, and hung the outside lights that we've been itching to get up since we got here, making it all a bit more cozy :) while frank was busy taking on the dirt, i planted a bed of meadow flowers and beach grass, with some herbs and lavender weaved throughout. right now it's looking a little stark, but hopefully after a few more rains and some hot summer sunshine it'll fill out and give off that easy breezy, wild flower vibe i'm going for :) we've also got another patch of dirt right outside our door that we've attempted to grown grass on. after the grass grew in patchy with a ton of weeds, we realized we didn't want to buy a lawnmower for a 6x6' lot of grass. so we scrapped the whole idea and plated creeping thyme that we're hoping will grow and spread - fingers crossed!

some of you may know the tess masters from her blog, The Blender Girl, her app, or her new cookbook! i was lucky to receive a copy of her latest book which has 100 smoothie recipes ranging from light, mild, exotic, and leaving you with some high vibe dessert smoothies (the peach crumble smoothie is totally on my summer to-do list!). this green mojito (sans liquor - i know, i totally should have spiked it), is incredibly light, fruity, savory, and tangy all in the same sip. all of the ingredients are easily found in your pantry or at the market, and you don't need a super crazy high-speed blender, which i know is a plus for a lot of folks out there. the lime and mint really shine through in this drink, and truly makes it reminiscent of a traditional mojito - minus that buzz ;) ;)

happy july, everyone! xo

green mojitos (v + gf)

the recipe below states 2 cups of frozen pineapple, however since i'm not the biggest fan of pineapple, i substituted it with 1 cup of frozen mango, and 1 cup frozen peaches. i also didn't have liquid stevia, so i replaced that with 1 teaspoon maple grade B syrup. as for tess's "optional boosters" i added about 1/2-inch worth of ginger, and 2 teaspoons coconut oil; i also reduced the amount of limes from 3 limes to 2.

| serves 2 |