Vegan tuscan kale salad

I love True Food Kitchen. I have been making this recipe for about a year now, ever since True Food Kitchen posted it on their web site. Their food is healthy, well-balanced and tasty, with many vegan and vegetarian options. I had never eaten kale before having this salad. When I was in high school, I used to work at a retirement home that used kale as decoration for the salad bar. The kale should have been IN the salad bar!!!
This salad is great on its own, but can also be served as a side salad with lunch or dinner. If I ever start having friends over for vegan dinner parties (which I want to start doing!), I would make them this salad as a starter. It's one of those salads that makes people really like kale!

Vegan version of True Food Kitchen's Tuscan Kale Salad

Food as Medicine Kale is among the most nutrient-dense commonly eaten vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of DV for vitamin A, and 88 percent for vitamin C.

Ingredients

4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black- midribs removed and chopped into strips or bite-size pieces (any store-bought kale will work) juice of 1 lemon 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, mashed salt & pepper, to taste hot red pepper flakes, to taste 2/3 cup mozzarella Diaya cheese 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread (or store-bought panko bread crumbs)

Instructions

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese. Ingredients  Chopped kale  Dressing  Finished kale salad  Ready to serve  Want to know more about True Food Kitchen? Here is info from Dr. Weil's website: Concept: All True Food Kitchen locations feature dishes that closely adhere to the principles of Dr. Weil's anti-inflammatory diet. They are intended to be a new kind of restaurant: one in which delicious flavors, healthy nutrients, environmental awareness and an inviting atmosphere come together to create an unforgettable dining experience. Dishes are influenced by Mediterranean, Asian and Californian cuisine, and include soups, appetizers, salads, pasta, rice and noodle dishes, wood grilled dishes, sandwiches and burgers, brick oven pizzas and desserts. Sample dishes: Wild Smoked Salmon with Shaved Radishes; Lemon Cream & Wasabi Peas; Sashimi Tuna Salad with Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato, Edamame & Ginger; Curry Chicken with Rice Noodles; Tuscan Kale Salad; Cauliflower & Cashews; Herbed Hummus; Green Tea Soba Noodles with Peas; Bok Choy & Lemongrass; Fresh Tomato Pizza with Pasilla Chile & Manchego; Grilled Wild Ahi Sliders with Wasabi, Radishes and Cucumber on Pumpernickel; and Natural Half Chicken with Farro, Walnuts, Dried Fig, Brussels Sprouts & Squash. Each location features catering, take out, breakfast, a selection of coffee drinks, natural juice blends, hot and cold tea, sparkling wine cocktails, organic and low-calorie beer and sake. All wines are selected based on wineries' commitment to organic, biodynamic and/or sustainable farming practices. Engrained in True Food Kitchen's ethos is a commitment to a conscious, community-based dining experience - a commitment that ensures that, no matter how many locations are established, True Food will never become what one thinks of as a "chain." Food sources: All True Food Kitchen locations use local, organic sources whenever possible. For example, the Phoenix location receives most of its produce from McClendon Farms, a 25-acre, USDA-certified organic produce farm in Peoria, Arizona. All locations also use the organic extra virgin olive oil and tomatoes that Dr. Weil worked to develop with Lucini Italia, which he considers the finest quality in the world. Green features: The restaurants are decidedly "green" with environmentally friendly accoutrement including: High efficiency kitchen equipment Low voltage LED lighting Waterless urinals (saving 40,000 gallons/year) Ultra low water faucets Low VOC paint White oak butcher block tables and counter tops Reclaimed wood floors Recycled quarry tiles Natura water purification unit. (True Food Kitchen creates both still and carbonated bottled water in-house. Bottles are cleaned, sterilized and reused, eliminating plastic bottle waste). True Food Kitchen locations: Phoenix, Ariz. (opened Oct. 2008) Biltmore Fashion Park 2502 E Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85016 602.774.3488 Newport Beach, Calif. (opened Aug. 2010) Fashion Island 451 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.644.2400 Scottsdale, Ariz. (opened Nov. 2010) Scottsdale Quarter 15191 N Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 480.265.4500 Santa Monica, Calif. (scheduled opening Apr. 2011)

How I survived 3 busy months being vegan...the catch-up post!

It's been a busy 3 months since I last blogged. How hard is it to take 10 minutes a day to post about the day? Well, harder than it sounds. Time flies by when you are busy. I have been taking back my time and working on taking better care of myself. I've been eating healthy meals, but have slacked on making my own meals from scratch.

I survived busy nights by eating a lot of the following:

Eatwell vegetarian chili from Fresh And Easy with a little Diaya cheddar Cheese

Vegan tacos. I tell everyone I know that it is the year of the vegan taco. Yums!

Gardein 7 grain crispy tender sandwiches with balsamic drizzle (1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tbsp raw sugar), fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes on a bun or ciabatta bread. 

Blood orange sorbet from La Piccola Cucina

Parfait with warm apples, soy yogurt, pumpkin and cranberry granola, apple-cooked quinoa (cooked with apple juice instead of water), topped with soy whipped cream

I've discovered many new restaurants in my quest for continued veganism. My favorite find over the last 3 months has been La Piccola Cucina. Their roasted eggplant sandwich, ratatouille and blood orange sorbet are what dreams are made of. Andy, the owner, is awesome. You need to go here, vegan or not. It is located in the Coronado Historic district in a cute house. Address is 2241 N. 7th Street Phoenix, AZ 85006. I gave it 5 stars on yelp. I'm serious.
I've found yummy vegan dishes at RnR, Picazzo's, Culinary Dropout and Eddie's House, all in Scottsdale.
At RnR, vegans can rejoice in a old town Scottsdale restaurant with options for vegans. Their veggie burger is to die for (I asked and was told there were no eggs or dairy in the burger), their fries are super tasty and their veggie tacos are unique with a jicama "tortilla". I really liked their apple gorgonzola salad minus the cheese, with prickly pear vinaigrette.
At Picazzo's, vegan cheese isn't even on the menu ANYWHERE. So strange, as they have a whole section of the menu with vegetarian options! Luckily, I asked if they had a vegan cheese option and they did! I ordered the Margharita pizza with medium crust and vegan cheese. I wanted to eat it for days.

At Culinary Dropout, The waitress did not know of anything vegan on their menu. I asked for a custom salad with romaine lettuce, apples, pistachios and ginger vinaigrette. I wish they had more vegan options on their menu. It's so cute there.
I was so worried about eating at Eddie's House, after looking at the online menu. Luckily, we contacted them in advance to ensure they would be able to accommodate me. They made me a special vegan pesto dip and an entree with a salad, grilled vegetables and hummus with pita chips. I can't wait to go back. My meal was amazing!

I look forward to sharing more of my vegan finds in the near future.