Every now and then I go through phases when I just can’t sleep. When this happens I usually get up and do Pilates. I know it sounds odd but it’s much better than lying in bed fuming about the fact I’m awake! There are lots of downsides to not being able to sleep, as I’m sure you can imagine. One of them is the fact that I end up eating pretty much everything in the flat. All self control goes out the window. I’m pretty sure this is because I’m trying to make up for lack of sleep energy with food fuel. But as I’ve had a particularly bad week and I’m increasingly aware of my clothes getting tighter I decided to make up some yummy, filling, healthy food! Hence, this week’s post is a delicious Kale Salad.
The crunchy-creamy chickpeas are a lovely contrast to the soft roasted sweet pumpkin and the thick tahini dressing.
Kale salad is the perfect choice for my sleep deprived binge because it’s brilliant when you’re in the mood for a big meal but don’t want that Christmas dinner post-meal effect afterwards!
I used to hate kale. I couldn’t stand the bitter taste or the way the kitchen smelt when it was steaming. I guess my taste buds have changed because I now can’t get enough of the stuff, especially at this time of year.
One kale salad bonus (other than the ‘superfood’-ness of it) is that, unlike traditional (lettuce) salads, kale keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so it’s perfect for a packed-lunch.
Speaking of the superfood-i-ness of kale, it’s packed full of nutrients and fibre. 100g kale offers two times the daily recommended amount of vitamins A and C, making it ideal for winter.
I like to remove the stalks from my kale whether it’s raw, steamed, sautéed or baked. I find them too much, too chewy. But, before you bin the stalks… if you have a dog try offering them to him/her. There’s a dog we look after, (those of you who follow me on instagram will already be familiar with him) Henry – the Schnauzer, who adores vegetables! Seriously, he’s the best vegan dog. He can’t get enough of veggies and he particularly likes it when I’m preparing kale (or courgettes) – good thing he’s coming back to stay on Thursday, I cant wait!
(I couldn’t resist. This is Henry.)
Back to food… If eating the kale raw, massage it (with clean hands), yup – you read that right! This step helps to remove some of the raw bitter edge, all you do (add an optional sprinkle of sea salt and) scrunch, release, repeat for circa 30 seconds!
I use kale a lot this time of year as I find it’s a good border between winter and spring being both savoury and satisfying. Bold dressings go particularly well with kale, so I’ve coupled it with this rich and creamy tahini dressing.
This salad is easy and quick making it great for lunch or dinner, also lots of it can be made ahead of time so it’s a perfect mid-week meal too.
The time consuming part is roasting the pumpkin and chickpeas, but you can do a big batch and reheat as needed throughout the week to save time.
This kale salad is:
- Tasty
- Hearty
- Healthy
- Colourful
- Full of goodness (nutrient-dense)
- Delicious
So why not treat yourself?
I don’t say it often enough but I love hearing from you – whether it’s a comment on the blog, through facebook or a tag on insta – so please don’t be shy about getting in touch!
Pumpkin, Kale & Chickpea Salad w/Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 500 g Pumpkin
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained*
- Kale 8 large handfuls (circa 340g) as much as you like really!
- Garlic infused olive oil goo
For the tahini dressing:
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 3-4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar balso
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp chives optional
- 1-2 tsp garlic infused olive oil goo
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Rinse, drain and dry the chickpeas. I dried mine by gently rolling them in a clean tea-towel. If any skin comes off, discard it.
- Lay out the chickpeas evenly on a pan, they can touch but you don’t want them overlapping or they wont crisp up. Cover them evenly in 1 tsp goo and a pinch sea salt
- Cover the pumpkin slices in 2 tsp goo and freshly ground black pepper (use separate try, if necessary)
- I used two trays and placed them in the middle of the oven.
- Roast both for circa 30 minutes (shake up the chickpeas twice during cooking)
- Lightly steam your kale, circa 2 minutes.
- Divide the kale into 4 bowls, mix circa 1 tbsp of the tahini dressing per bowl and top with the roasted pumpkin and chickpeas.
- Enjoy!
Can I use sweet potato instead of pumpkin?
Yes you can! However, if you’re following the strict phase of the low-FODMAP diet the allowance is 70g – higher servings contain Polyol, mannitol so should be avoided (unless you know you tolerate them well). Hope you like it!