Kale Salad

Here's something I would have never thought of doing ... serving just kale in a salad, fresh! I usually use kale as a cooked ingredient, or sneak it into a mixed green salad. However, when a friend showed up with this salad, it was an instant hit. The secret? Cut the kale small enough so that the mix-ins seem to steal the show. You'll be eating your deepest, darkest greens, wondering what they are and loving every bite.

Ingredients:

5 large leaves curly kale, chopped into 1 inch squares (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vinegar
several grinds of salt

Directions: Cut the onion and red pepper so that their size is similar to each other, about the size of the largest sunflower seed. Mix the onion, red pepper, seeds and kale together in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar and salt together in a jar, or small mixing bowl. Shake or whisk to mix together, then pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: There's a rule of thumb for vegetables: the darker in color, the more vitamins and antioxidants. Kale, with it's dark green color, is one of those veggies that's right at the top of the healthy list. It's high in carotene, vitamin C, B6, and manganese. It's also high in minerals like calcium, copper, and iron. On top of all those good vitamins and minerals, it's high in fiber. What better way to eat healthy?