Stop wrinkling your nose every time you hear the word “kale!” It’s not nearly as scary and unapproachable as you think. C’mon, bring some home, chop it up, make this salad, and join the converted!

I got this particular recipe from a friend of a friend of a friend (no joke!). She said it was the highlight of a meal she had at another friend’s house. She brought home leftovers and ate it for days – kale gets better and better as it stands because it doesn’t get soggy like many other leafy greens would do once dressed.

This salad actually reminds me of one I had this summer at True Food Kitchen, Dr. Andrew Weil’s restaurant concept. The restaurant was incredible – one of those places I WISH we had here in the Midwest. But if you want a taste of the kind of food they serve, Dr. Weil has a new cookbook out this week, called True Food – Seasonable, Sustainable, Simple, Pure. It looks amazing. And I’m betting there’s a kale salad or two in there as well.

Lemony Kale Salad with Parmesan

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of curly kale, washed and dried

1/2 cup currants, raisins, chopped dates, or other dried fruit

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Remove the stem from each kale leaf by folding it in half and running your knife along the stem edge. Finely chop kale.

2. In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Combine kale, currants, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on a little at a time and toss well. Add enough dressing to coat well, but not to be swimming in the dressing.

4. Allow salad to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired. Salad will stay fresh for several days in the refrigerator.

Need an upgrade to your weekend pancakes? Here’s an idea for a cozy weekend brunch.

I’m picturing you now padding around the kitchen in your slippers whipping up a frittata as though you did stuff like this EVERY DAY. Which, of course, you don’t because you’re sitting there thinking “Is she crazy? I can’t even spell frittata, much less make one!” The truth is, frittatas are pretty easy. Way easier than, say, omelets which involve persnickety flipping. With a frittata, you just mix up all the ingredients and pour them into cute little ramekins to bake away in your oven while you brew coffee and make toast.

Don’t over-complicate this. Weekends are supposed to be easy. Let’s keep them that way.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata

serves 4

Ingredients:

cooking spray

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

1-2 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped

5 whole eggs

5 egg whites

8 sun-dried tomatoes (drained and patted dry if oil packed), chopped

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (can sub Parmesan or feta if you prefer)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees. Coat 4 ramekins or small baking dishes with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook shallot until soft, but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Lightly whisk eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, basil, spinach mixture, salt and pepper.

4. Spoon into baking dishes. Place in the oven and bake until they are firm in the middle, about 12 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.