Et tu, Brute?
Did you know that Caesar salad was in fact created by an Italian, but in Mexico? Neither did I, but Wikipedia did. Still not as confusing as the origins of the piñata. In slightly more compelling news, cooking for my new roommate has put some bounce back into my step. I get a veg box now, so every week offers a new surprise...and by surprise, I sometimes mean monster. We received two rutabagas that are the size of a toddler's head and have no idea what to do with them. I'm thinking cake, but we'll see. Anyway, we get a new box every Wednesday, and last Tuesday we had ALL the kale left. I normally never consider eating kale raw because I value my insides staying intact, but I was feeling wild and free. To make the kale less likely to puncture your belly, give it a quick massage (or beating with a spoon if you're lazy like me). Then, just toss it in a lively and garlicy dressing, add some roasted roots, and you have yourself a lovely meal for a weekday.
NOTE: Due to my occupation of Scotland, I substituted cheddar for parmigiano and I'M NOT SORRY. It was perfect.
Kale Caesar with Roasted Tubers
We also had some leftover rye bread that my roommate had made so we toasted up some croutons (seasoned with oil, salt and pepper). Que fancy. The tubers in question are beets and sweet potatoes, tossed with a little oil, salt, and pepper before roasting for a bit (30 min.) in a 350 degree oven. To make the dressing, blend all the ingredients together with an immersion blender or a food processor. Add some of the dressing to the kale and really work it into the leaves for a good ten minutes. Now you can add the roasted vegetables, the croutons, and more dressing to finish up the salad. It should be noted that this will probably make more dressing than needed, but you do you, child.
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Notice anything different about these pictures? That's right, they're not of terrible quality. My roommate and her iphone make magic together. I forgot to mention that because we are fat, we also supplemented the kale supply with spinach; this also made a great lunch the next day.
Recipe
Salad
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
2 large handfuls of spinach
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 small beets, peeled and chopped
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
1 egg
1 c olive oil
1/4 c cheddar cheese
small bunch of parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 anchovy fillets
1 1/2 tsp Dijon
2-3 small cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Croutons
small loaf of good quality bread
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
