A few weekends ago I visited my hometown of Palm Springs. My visit there is never complete without a visit to Cheeky's. Now normally when I go there I get some sort of brilliant egg concoction and a cocktail. But this particular past visit I was feeling a little on the butterball side of healthy, so I opted for a salad called the Bikini Salad to ease my conscious. It was just what my body needed. Light, healthy and even better yet, tasty! So of course when I got home, first thing I needed to do was re-create it.
+ 1 bunch kale
+ 1 cup jicama, sliced
+ 1 cup carrots, sliced
+ 1 cup green beans (French are the best, the skinnier the better)
+ 1 cup shelled edamame (frozen is just fine)
1. Bring pot of water to boil on stove. Toss rinsed breen beans and edamame into the boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Careful not to over cook, you still want them to have some crunch. When done, throw into a large bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and to hold the bright green color. Set aside.
2. Rise, dry and trim kale, cutting out the tough stems and chopping the leaves into bit sized pieces. Toss into large salad bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, making sure to coat all the leaves and cover and set aside at room temp for about an hour. When done, leaves should look darker in color and moist.
3. While the kale is marinating, slice the carrots and jicama.
4. When the kale is ready add the carrots, jicama, edamame and green beans. Add dressing (recipe below) and Enjoy!
+ 1/2 cup sliced carrots (about 1 large)
+ 1 small shallot, sliced
+ 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
+ 1 clove garlic, sliced
+ 2 tablespoons white miso
+ 1/4 cup rice vinegar
+ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
+ 2 tablespoons honey
+ 3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
+ 1/2 cup olive oil
1. Add all ingredients minus the oils into blender or food processor. Blend together for about a minute, until finely incorporated.
2. Add the sesame and olive oil until smooth, about 30 seconds. If you need to thin the dressing out use 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you are satisfied with the consistency. Dressing will save for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
Enjoy and Happy Monday all!