Recipe - Tuscan Kale Salad with Cranberries

I have been trying to get more healthy foods into my diet, and kale is just one of those superfoods that needed more showtime in my life. It's not just me that I want to focus on, however, as I move forward with this; I want my parents and brothers to eat better too. So basically, I thrust a delicious kale salad at them and what do you know? They liked it! This is simple to make and oh so healthful. Don't believe me? Look up the nutritional value of kale and tell me I'm wrong. Once you see I'm right, take a stab at putting together this tasty Tuscan kale salad.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 6-8 servings)

• 2 bunches of kale, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
Kale can be a hardy vegetable to work with. I used some kitchen shears and chopped up the leaves (discarding the stems) into my large salad bowl. Make sure these are manageable sizes for eating. To reduce the veinyness and hardiness of the vegetable, squeeze over the lemon juice and add the salt & pepper. Let sit for 2-3 minutes and then "massage" the kale with your hands to help break down the hardiness even more. The salt and lemon helps.

Step 3: Finishing
Add in almonds, cranberries, and cheese. Toss until thoroughly mixed. Serve and enjoy!

Photography by Minerva Thai.