Thursday, October 17, 2013

Autumn Kale Salad

Fall is upon us at last! My favorite season of the year and my favorite flavors of the year.  As the cold creeps in so does everything pumpkin flavored, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all those warm spices that heat up any chilly autumn evening.



Keeping with the season, I have this lovely autumn salad featuring marinated kale, roasted sweet potatoes and kabocha squash, maple tempeh bacon and sliced avocado.  A perfect hearty salad for any time of the day.



Ingredients:
1 large bunch of kale
1/2 medium kabocha squash, sliced (I like to keep the skin on)
1 large sweet potato, cubed
1 avocado, sliced
1 140z package of tempeh
1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
1 tablespoon of liquid aminos
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 1 fresh clove minced)
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
Pepper to taste



Begin by heating your oven to 400 F.  Then slice your squash and cubing your sweet potato and place them on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  You can roast them plain or spray with a little non-stick spray and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

While your vegetables are roasting, mix together the water, lemon juice, flax seed, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and pepper and set aside.  This will be your dressing.  Slice your tempeh into thin strips and sear on a cast iron skillet with a bit of non-stick spray until crispy on both sides.  Turn off heat and add your liquid smoke, liquid aminos and maple syrup.  Toss to coat and then set aside.

Slice your kale into bite sized pieces, rinse, and then place into a large mixing bowl.  Add half of the dressing and massage well with your hands.



After about 45 minutes your vegetables should be done roasting, be sure to check on them periodically as times may vary.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Slice your squash into bite sized chunks.  Add the squash, sweet potato, and tempeh to your marinated kale and gently combine all ingredients.  Top with sliced avocado, drizzle the rest of the dressing on top and enjoy!



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