Kale and Veggie Slaw

Our editorial department is on day two of a three-day juice cleanse. It’s been a rough 24 hours, but we’ve survived.  To get myself in the juicing mood, I made this kale and veggie slaw over the weekend. I figured I should start enjoying all the vegetables and leafy greens that were soon going to rule my life. The recipe is from the In Vegetables We Trust Blog, and if you’re looking for a great stock of vegan and vegetarian recipes, this blog is a gold mine!

The recipe couldn’t be easier, although it does take some arm strength since you have to spend a good amount of time grating carrots, beets and parsnips. While this slaw is beautiful, it’s also super-messy. About half way through, my kitchen counter was covered with strips of orange, white, red and purple. The beet was the worst! Trying to grate a giant purple beet can only result in disaster, and my hands were stained in the first few minutes. But it was all worth it in the end.

After drizzling the salad with the red pepper dressing and letting it cool in the fridge for about an hour, the crunchy veggies had softened just a bit and had absorbed all the sweet tang from the red wine vinegar.  For two days, I munched on this rainbow salad. I mixed in nuts and seeds, spread it over hummus, and even piled some on top of a burger one night. It was delicious!

But now it’s back to the juice cleanse. Wish us luck!

Till next week, happy cooking.

Kale and Veggie Slaw

Makes six servings
(From the In Vegetables We Trust blog)

Shopping List:
Kale
Carrots
Beets
Sunflower seeds
Red Bell Pepper

All available at Mama Jeans Natural Market

Ingredients:
2 cups kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
Pinch of salt
1/8 of a red cabbage, shredded
1 red onion, sliced
1 big carrot, peeled and grated
1 big parsnip, peeled and grated
1 beet, peeled and grated
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
The juice of one orange
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sunflower seeds 

Directions:
1. Place the torn up kale in a large bowl with the sprinkle of salt. Massage until the kale starts to turn darker green. (It will smell really bitter, which is what you want.)
2. Mix in the cabbage, red onion, carrot, parsnip and beet, and stir to combine.
3. To make the dressing, place the orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, bell pepper, garlic and red wine vinegar into a food processor and pulse until blended.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and serve with sunflower seeds for some extra crunch.