Something on the Side: Kale-Avocado Salad

Fabolous (rapper/wannabe gangsta) had millions of people in the early 2000's echoing the lyrics "Cuz the entrée ain't as good without somethin' on the side". Now whether he was paying homage to his favorite part of a home-cooked meal or a fine Caucasian woman? I guess we'll never know. But there is one thing we can always be sure of. Something on the side: good for dinner, bad for relationships.

Here we have a mouth-watering side dish hailing from the mean streets of Connecticut. My friend and I eat this by the boatloads when I go up there for a visit. It has made us diehard kale fans, and why not? It's a nutrient powerhouse and delicious to boot. When combined with avocado, which has fat in allllll the right places, the composition of flavor and healthfulness simply cannot be beat.

Although this salad complements a variety of proteins, you know I love myself a great piece of red meat. Therefore, I served this up with some jalapeno-garlic flank steak. Medium-rare, thinly-sliced, cut against the grain, and you're good to go. I garnished it with a handful of cilantro and lime wedges. Party in my mouth.


Kale-Avocado Salad
Ingredients
2 bunches kale, stems and ribs removed, chopped
2 avocados
3/4 cp orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 cp red onion, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cp cilantro, chopped
1 tb crushed red pepper
salt to taste

Directions (serves 4)
1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge kale in water for about 1 minute, or until it turns bright green. Pour kale into a strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze excess water. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients, mashing the avocado as you go. Add blanched kale to the bowl and stir until well-combined. Salt to taste.