winter salad – fuelmyfit

Warm Kale, Beet and Feta Salad

This seasonal salad is packed with vitamins and minerals and will keep you warm in these chilly temperatures. Beets and kale are both vegetables that can be grown through the winter and bought at local farmer’s markets and grocery stores during this time when vegetables can seem scarce. The hearty, crisp taste of kale is balanced by the sweet taste of beets and creamy feta cheese in this warm salad, which is a cinch to make. As tasty as it is pretty, this winter-y salad will become your new favorite for entertaining – or just eating on your own!

Ingredients (serves 4):

6 C kale, raw, chopped (wash thoroughly and remove large stems)

8 oz. baby beets (I like Melissa’s Ready-To-Eat Baby Beets, which are steamed, peeled and ready to eat. 1 package is 8 oz, which is about 5 baby beets. You can also roast your own beets! If you roast your own, you should do so before preparing this dish, as they should be ready to eat in this recipe).

1/4 C reduced- fat feta cheese, crumbled

1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon, freshly squeezed

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 C water

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat (I recommend using a pan with large sides, or a pot, as the kale starts out piled high in the pan before it cooks down).

2. Add kale to pan. Add water and cover. Allow kale to cook covered for approximately 5 minutes. The kale should be a bright green color and there should be some excess liquid when the cover is removed.

3. Remove cover and stir kale until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. The liquid should be mostly evaporated by now. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Cut beets into wedges and add to kale. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer from pan to serving dish. Top with feta cheese and serve warm. Enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 149 calories, Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Carbohydrates 18 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 235 mg, Calcium 176 mg

I served it with butternut squash ravioli!

This warm salad will make you feel like you’re eating comfort food in these dropping temperatures! This dish, which can be a snack, a side dish, or a perfectly adequate meal if you add some protein, makes use of some of fall’s best treasures. Butternut squash is a winter squash that supplies a ton of beta-carotene (A precursor form of vitamin A), along with vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and fiber. Also, kale is a nutritionally power-packed leafy green that offers up even more vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K, along with iron, calcium and a ton of other vitamins and minerals. The acidity from the lemon juice helps to break down the nutrients in kale in order to increase bioavailability, and also helps to counteract the bitter taste of this green.

Ingredients (serves 2):

4 C kale, chopped (with stems removed)

1.5 C cubed butternut squash

1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

dash salt

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.Place cubed squash on baking sheet and drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over squash. Add dash salt and dash ground black pepper. Bake in oven once preheated approximately 45 minutes, mixing every 15-20 minutes.

3. Chop kale and remove large stems.

4. Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and warm over medium heat.

5. Add kale to skillet. Cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring often.

6. Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over kale and mix well. Add remaining black pepper to kale. Allow to cook another 5 minutes, stirring often.

7. Combine kale and squash and mix. Serve warm.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 252 cals, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 31 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 4 g, Protein 6 g, Calcium 246 mg, Sodium 142 mg

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Tag: winter salad

Warm Kale, Beet and Feta Salad

Warm Kale And Butternut Squash Salad