I woke up today with a jumbo-sized carb hangover. And you might have, too. Unless you were born with willpower. And then, well, I’m totally jealous.
Last night, barely 30 minutes after I crammed the last load of dishes into the dishwasher and swore off cooking forever, I was in the kitchen, toasting pine nuts and whipping up dressing so we could have a light lunch at home before heading out. Today is a travel day for us. 6 hours in the car with a cranky toddler on our way to Thanksgiving #2. Now who’s jealous 🙂
Our favorite little pizza place has a house vinaigrette that is for the garlic lover. Not liker. Lover. It’s not the salad dressing you order on a date. Unless your date is completely awesome and orders it for himself. And then you can go for it! It’s great on most salads, from the “plain romaine” that Jason prefers, to the mixed baby greens that Locatelli’s serves. But for the last month, I’ve been in love with the simple combination of Kale, pine nuts, and Parmesan, thank to Nancy.
The garlic flavor in the dressing will only intensify overnight. I try to make it ahead of time when I can but it’s not necessary.
Kale with Pine Nuts and Garlic Vinaigrette
Kale, parmesan, and pine nuts topped with a tangy vinaigrette that's perfect for the garlic lover.
Ingredients
- For the vinaigrette:
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan (~1 oz)
- Salt
- Pepper
- For the salad:
- 1 bunch Kale, rinsed and dried
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- Parmesan, shaved (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add lemon juice, white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to your blender and turn on, streaming in the oil slowly.
- Turn off the blender and add the garlic and cheese. Blend another 10-15 seconds.
- Heat a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the pine nuts.
- Toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice until sides are golden brown.
- Coarsely chop kale and add to a large bowl.
- Lightly toss with a few tablespoons of dressing and garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan.
Notes
Yields: 4 servings
Estimated time: 20 minutes