Shaved Brussels Sprout Kale Pomegranate Salad.

Are you currently planning your holiday meals? I have the perfect salad for you; beautiful and delicious!  I love shaved vegetable salads at restaurants and I have attempted to make the perfect looking one for a long time. I struggle to be able to get the brussels sprouts to look restaurant quality... until now.  So do you use a mandolin, a food processor, or cut by hand? Now I use a mandolin but with a fork to ensure safety:-)

Brussels Sprout Kale Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients:
(makes approximately 4-6 servings)
1 bunch of Dinosaur Kale
3 cups Brussels Sprouts
1 Pomegranate worth of arils
Optional: Shaved Pecorino Romano

Champagne Vinaigrette:
4 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Shallot
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and chop kale into small, thin pieces and set aside in a large salad bowl. Wash and trim brussels sprouts. Place a mandolin on the counter, make sure the surface is stable and place the setting on a medium to small slice.  To use the mandolin on your brussels sprouts, place a fork into the base of the brussels spout and go back and forth to create thinly shaved pieces. Place shaved brussels spouts into the large bowl and add the pomegranate arils.  Blend the vinaigrette ingredients together using your immersion blender. Add the dressing and serve topped with a little bit of pecorino romano cheese.
 

This salad has great texture; a little bitter, a little sweet, a little crunch, and a lot of goodness.  I think it would look just beautiful on your holiday table!

Workout Plan for the Week:
Sunday: 8.5 mile run in glorious 50 degree Chicago December weather.
Monday: Shred415 Arms and Abs
Tuesday: Teach Bootcamp and Pilates
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Shred415 Shredded Abs
Friday: Hot Vinyasa Yoga
Saturday: 5 Mile Run
 

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

After being on vacation last weekend and being off my usual eating and sleeping routine I felt like we needed to make sure to have a super healthy week of prepared and planned meals.  Summer has been a little busy for us and Sunday meal prep has fallen a little to the wayside.  It makes a huge difference in my energy and overall well being have a complete prepared meal at night when I get home, rather than coming home at 8:30 and throwing something together or being too hungry and snacking on everything and anything.  
In my desire to detox last week I bought lots of veggies, fruits, and fish.  Wednesday night's dinner was this delicious and filling salad!  I can't wait to make it again this week.
 

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette  

Ingredients:
(between 4-6 servings)
1 bunch of Lacinato (aka Dinosaur) Kale (washed, stems discarded and cut/torn into small pieces)
2 large handfuls of brussels sprouts (cut into quarters)
1 cup Craisins
1 cup pepitas 

For Dressing:
2 Tbsp Mustard Girl Dijon Mustard (any dijon will do but this is my favorite)
1/2 cup EVOO
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place brussels sprouts.  Lightly spray with EVOO and a pinch of sea salt.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Combine kale, pepitas, craisins and brussles sprouts once they have cooled.  Toss with dressing and enjoy!

Dressing up your Salad.

I love salads.  90% of the time when we go out to eat the first menu items I look towards are the salads and then of course the DESSERT.  It's great when you find an interesting, fresh salad to start of your meal or to eat as your meal.  Sometimes I find it difficult to get excited about making them at home, so lately I have stocked the cabinet and fridge with interesting and healthy toppings.

How to make the perfect salad:
STEP 1: Pick your base. For a mild green go with bibb, iceberg, romaine, endive, or spinach.  For something with more flavor try radicchio, kale, or arugla.

STEP 2: Add your main ingredients.  Roasted, fresh or dried fruits and vegetables. Sweet fruits like apples, pears, avocados, berries, pomegranate arils or clementines add a nice punch to the salad.  Adding crunchy vegetables adds texture; carrots, peppers, zucchini, brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes (my favorite),artichokes, jicama, etc. Dried fruits can help add fiber and variety, anything from craisins, figs, and yellow raisins.

STEP 3: Choose your protein.  Protein options can be chicken, tuna, salmon, steak, tofu, beans (garbanzo, kidney, white northern beans) and any variety of nuts. To change it up a little, you can trade out traditional proteins for grains high in protein; farro, quinoa, wheat berries.  These grains will make your salad a complete meal and keep you full for a long time!

STEP 4: Toppings.  Go easy on this section, they should be used to enhance and add flavor.  Healthy, light cheeses (goat cheese, feta, parmesan) should be used sparingly.  Pumpkin seeds have lots of health benefits and have a nice texture.  

STEP 5:  Dress it up...lightly.  This is where many of us get into trouble, turning a healthy option into a high fat, high sodium, calorie-filled meal.  Always look at the labels before dumping the dressing on and if you are out to eat ask for it on the side.  Some of the low fat or light dressings are still filled with sodium.  Simply using balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a spritzer bottle makes for a great dressing.  When Ryan and I were in Italy we took a cooking class and made one of our favorite dressings; olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, and just a little bit of dijon mustard.  

Currently in my salad: Mix greens, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese (just a little), avocado, carrots and a little spritz of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste!

Necessary tools for salad dressing:

On sale at Crate and Barrel for $9.95

The Misto Olive Oil Sprayer is my favorite kitchen item, it allows you to lightly coat veggies for roasting, salads, pans, etc. without ever over doing it.  It's a must have!

Misto Olive Oil $9.99 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond