Summer in Boulder this year is incredible! Everything is so green and lush. I live on the creek, and I feel like I’m living in rain forest with an abundance of water, birds, and greens all around. It feels so pleasant and relaxing lying or having a summer office on the porch with the sound of the creek. I always wanted to have a garden, but I have been so busy every summer. Finally this year I have deiced to get my first garden going with all my favorites veggies. Because of so much rain, everything grows like crazy! My arugula is taking over the entire garden. Lol, My favorite vegetable – kale is growing very well too. I eat kale many times a week, and I have many kale recipes. You will be seeing a lot of them on my blog. Kale is very versatile. It is the leafy superfood and in fashion nowadays.

One serving of kale contains only 30 calories, provides a day’s worth of vitamin C, twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, and nearly seven times the recommended amount of vitamin K. Kale also provide minerals and healthy fatty acids, and you’ve got yourself a nutrition powerhouse.

But due to its firm texture and slightly bitter flavor, kale can be more challenging to cook with than some other greens. Don’t be intimidated! I will show you that you can cook kale the way you like it! This recipe does not require to massage kale for a long time because I would like to keep its crispy texture.

This recipe brings you to the Middle East and I love their cuisine and their spices!

KALE AND LENTIL SALAD

• 1 large kale, de-stemmed and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup of barley
• 1 can of lentils
• ½ red pepper, diced
• ½ yellow pepper
• 3 green onions
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dried apricots
• ½ cup raw pistachio kernels

For the Dressing:

• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp water
• salt, cayenne and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the barley according to instructions.

Wash all veggies. Chop the kale. Dice peppers, ONIONS

Add the kale, parsley and red pepper to a large bowl and mix well.

Add the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender and mix until smooth. Pour over the kale mixture, stirring until the kale is well coated.

Once the barley is cooked, drain any excess water and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix with chopped apricots, raisins and chopped pistachios.

In Health

Angie

Check out my recipes here!