This past year was easily my most memorable on record. It started with finding out we were expecting early in January, then it was a move and a several month house renovation (I do not recommend this while pregnant, hah), my first cookbook released in March, September brought the birth of our baby girl, and in November the launch of a new business – most of these things were going on at the same time throughout 2014, including nurturing and growing this recipe blog and a new baby blog. I know I’m forgetting some things. My head is spinning just thinking about everything that happened. It was a complete whirlwind with many unexpected highs and inevitable lows, but I leave the year feeling extremely grateful with many lessons in hand and a heart filled to the brim.
The greatest blessing of my life happened this year – the birth of our daughter – and in the blink of an eye my entire life was changed for the better. I don’t know how I ever lived without this smiley, charming, squirmy baby girl. During late winter and early spring, in my first trimester, I had major anxiety about how I would handle my role as a parent. Had I made the right decision? How would I balance being a parent and my career? It kept me up at night with worry. I was never the girl who just knew I’d be a mother some day. All my friends would talk about their baby fever and I couldn’t relate at all so I started to think that I just wasn’t cut out for it. Maternal instincts seemed foreign and babies scared the bejesus out of me. For real! I felt so awkward around them. But over the years, gradually, we decided it was something we both wanted and that fear was the only thing holding us back. I guess the uncertainty was to be expected though. There were many low days during my first trimester (many of which were likely hormone driven) – including Sketchie’s heartbreaking diagnosis and subsequent treatment – but thankfully my doubts faded as the pregnancy went on. The moment Adriana was placed into my arms, I knew everything was how it was always meant to be. I just knew we’d figure it out. I’ve struggled with the desire to control things in my life for so long and finally, I learned how liberating it can feel to just take things as they come. You hear people say it all the time, but I honestly never knew my heart could love someone so much. That kind of intense love is an extremely powerful motivator – there’s no more questioning, you just do what needs to be done and that’s that.
The New Year is shaping up to be a busy one once again, but my growing baby is a refreshing reminder that the smaller moments in life are the best. They are what make me truly happy. I’m trying to embrace the little (yet powerful) things more and let other things slide when they need to. It’s not easy. I’m hoping 2015 brings more inner peace, balance, and calmness, but I will have to do the work to make that happen because as we all know, it just doesn’t magically fall into place; whatever it is that we want only comes with a lot of hard work and perseverance. Oh, and laughter. You need that ingredient for success. Not to mention, realizing that nothing will ever be just right all at the same time…and that’s ok.
Thank you wonderful people for coming here each week and making this work that I do so very rewarding. For caring about my stories, embracing new recipes, and sharing a glimpse into your own life. I am constantly amazed by the beauty of your words and the stories you share with me. I wish you all the best that 2015 has to offer, including healthy, veggie-filled meals that renew your excitement whenever you sit down for a meal.
In the spirit of a fresh start, let’s cue the token salad recipe to kick off another year of healthy, feel-good recipes! I’m going to skip the whole “oh I’ve been eating too many sweets and need to eat more veggies” spiel (totally true though) and just get to the recipe because its a good one!
I’ve never been one to think that a salad should be a punishment food. A good hearty salad is a cause for celebration. Call me crazy, but I tend to get as excited about a good salad as I would a rich dessert or sheet of cookies. Or a pan of roasted brussels sprouts, for that matter. It’s the small things, it really is.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Superfood Crunch Salad with Homemade Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette
Yield
3-4 small bowls
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Shredded Lacinato kale is tossed in a tangy balsamic, apple cider, maple, and garlic dressing and then topped with sliced pear, pomegranate arils, pepita, hemp, and black sesame seeds, and large flaked coconut. Whenever the dull winter weather has you feeling blah, whip up this vibrant dose of nutrients and you'll be feeling better in no time.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 8-10 cups destemmed and shredded Lacinato (dino) kale (2 bunches)
- 1 pear, thinly sliced and chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup pepita seeds
- 3-4 tbsp large flake coconut
- 1-2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1-2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (optional)
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Adjust to taste if desired.
- Remove all of the stems from the kale leaves and compost the stems (or if you are hard core you can save them for smoothies). Finely chop the kale leaves into tiny "shredded" pieces. The smaller the more tender the leaves will feel. Wash and spin dry. Place kale into a large salad bowl. You should have about 8-10 cups of kale for this salad.
- Toss the kale in all of the dressing until everything is coated nicely. The kale will reduce in volume substantially.
- Add the toppings (as much as you want - I recommend lots!), sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve immediately. Or let the dressing marinate the kale for a half hour or so. This salad is best served fresh, but it will keep chilled in the fridge for a day. if you don't think you will eat that quickly, I recommend making a half batch at a time or simply store the kale and dressing separately until ready to mix and consume.
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I love how healthy it is and I typically have all the ingredients on hand which is an added bonus. This will be on our menu regularly. Thank you!!!
2014 was quite the year for you and your family! You had so many exciting & wonderful things happen. I look forward to seeing what 2015 has in store for you.
This salad sounds super tasty! I can’t wait to try it out =)
Angela,
Happy New Year to you and your family. I’ve been following you for quite some time now and am a huge fan. You are truly an inspiration. After I had my son 3 years ago is when I completely changed my life around to more real, whole foods and being plant based. Your recipes are lovely and I well we (the hubs and baby mikey too) all enjoy them. Thanks for the inspo. Sending love, light and positive vibes!
Jenn
Thank you for your kind words Jenn! Im so happy you are enjoying the recipes and blog so much. :) All the best to you in 2015!
I love the colors in this salad and the ingredients sound so good! I can’t wait to try this and share it with friends and family! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to explore your other recipes!
Made this for dinner for my hubby & myself after a long holiday season.
We both loved it! In the recipe Angela recommends to toss the dressing to
make the kale softer. I didn’t do this ( not a fan of mushy salad) next time I will
do this. Still yummy & so happy with all its wonderful flavors!
Just wanted to comment that I made this salad tonight and both my husband and I loved it. I used pine nuts instead of hemp seeds and pepita (only because I didn’t have them on hand!) and also added red quinoa. It was SO fantastic. Thanks for another great recipe!
Just made and thoroughly enjoyed this salad today!! Delicious! Thanks for sharing.,
This Salad is so delicious. I made it for lunch for my husband and myself and we both LOVED it. Thank you for inspiring me, yet again, to eat healthier! :)
Just made this for lunch. It was sooo good! My belly doesn’t like olive oil and I have to follow a low oil diet so I subbed a Tbsp of avacado oil for the olive oil and it was still very tasty. Thank you for sharing your creations with us! Your recipes are probably our #1 talked about subject at work as of late…haha
Oh my gash! soooo delicious! Best salad I’ve ever tasted at this point in my life!
Just made this for the first time. And YUM! This recipe has a perfect blend of sweet and sour with lots of crunch added as well. I’m not a big fan of kale, but this is recipe may change its status for me!
Haven’t tried this recipe yet but I absolutely LOVED your other kale salad with the faux-parmesan pecan crumble. I will definitely give this one a try once I recruit all the necessary ingredients :)
I just wanted to say, though, that your admission in this post of never being sure kids were in your future is something that deeply resonates with me. I often wonder (read: worry) that I’m not ‘mommy’ material because I never feel that connection or strong pull towards children. I’d like to hope one day I find the right person with whom to spend my life and that perhaps that will make the difference. Regardless, I really appreciate hearing from women like you. It normalizes everything I’m going through (coupled with lovely veggie recipes as a bonus!).
Congratulations on all of your triumphs this year and thanks for sharing!
This salad looks delicious! I tend to fall into salad ruts, eating the same thing an endless number of times, I’m going to use this salad recipe as a means to escape the monotonous!
This salad is ah-may-Zing!!! I’ve made it twice in the past few weeks for company, and everyone loves it and they all want the recipe! I didn’t have a lot of kale, so I used a Baby kale and spinach mix and it was perfect! Guess what? No one even knew they were eating hemp seeds in their salad-Ha!!
I think this salad would work with any fresh fruit you may have on hand, or different nuts as well. Thanks for the great recipe Angela!
Had this tonight it was DELICIOUS!
Made this tonight!! So delicious!
Just made this…I cannot wait until dinner have already started eating it. This is a delicious mix/meal. I toasted the coconut and used fig vinegar… Love and thanks to you for a perfect meal.
Just made this for dinner tonight! My husband and I both thought it was perfect. I added some grilled chicken for him, and we both had it with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine, perfection. Thank you so much for sharing this as well as your adorable baby pics and story of motherhood!
Delicious! One of my favourite parts while making this actually was seeding the pomegranate, haha! Thanks for the recipe, Angela! :)
I had to make some topping substitutions for ingredients I had on hand, but this salad still came out amazing. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!