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)

Kale Chips

I had never had kale before my first visit to True Food Kitchen earlier this year. They have a wonderful kale salad that made me want to try recipes at home using kale. I was able to find TFK's Kale salad recipe here. I have veganized their recipe by using rice "parmesan" cheese instead of dairy cheese and substituting vegan bread crumbs for regular bread crumbs.
Having jumped on the kale train, I had been searching for kale recipes online and kept seeing recipes for kale chips. Many reviews said they taste like thin potato chips. Some recipes call for cheese or other non-vegan ingredients. I kinda made up my own recipe, using only 3 toppings. Next time I make these, I am going to spritz the kale with olive oil instead of drizzling in a bowl and tossing. I think I'll be able to cut down the amount of oil used (which isn't much), to almost none.

Vegan kale Chips

2 bunches of kale
Olive oil (you'll be drizzling or spritzing-you don't need much)
Rice "parmesan" cheese or other non-dairy cheese (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)

1.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the kale and pat dry
3. Cut the leaves off the stems
4. Tear leaves into big "chip" sized pieces
5. Put kale chips into big bowl and drizzle with olive oil

6. Toss to to coat the chips
7. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper (for easy clean-up) or spray cookie sheets with oil
8. In a single line, without overlapping, fill the cookie sheets with the chips

9. Sprinkle salt over the chips....a little goes a long way...you don't want TOO much salt
10. Sprinkle the rice "parmesan" cheese over the chips

11. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Check on the chips and take out any that are crispy. If you have some that need more baking time, put them back in for 5 more minutes and you should be good.

The finished product: tasty kale chips!