October 21, 2012

Cranberry-Almond Kale Salad


I am always searching for more ways to cram kale into my diet. I love the stuff! And I always feel so great after I eat it - energized and... uh.. well, you know... "rollin' in the colon" and stuff. Hey, I just made up a new phrase! Rollin' in the colon. I like that.

1 bunch fresh kale, stalks removed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, very finely grated (I use the little frozen squares)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • First, whisk together the following items in a large bowl: orange juice, apple cider vinegar, sweetener of your choice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. 
  • Add the ginger and whisk again, until very well incorporated.
  • Add the kale and use salad tongs or hands, or whatever you've got, to gently toss the kale in the dressing until every leaf if covered and dripping with good stuff.
  • Now add your almonds and cranberries. Toss again.
  • Enjoy!
And now I have a strange request for my readers...
PLEASE IDENTIFY THIS FRUIT FOR ME!!


I have a mystery tree growing my backyard. We've only lived here for a year, and all year long I've watched these weird little pink balls growing on the tree behind my bedroom window. Now they are falling off and I'm like, "Should I be roasting these or what?" I have no clue what they are. The little black thing on top reminds me of a persimmon, but I saw some persimmons at the grocery story recently and they were way bigger than what I have. So, I am flummoxed. Can anybody shed some light on this??



And, if you know what it is, can you also throw a recipe or two my way? The Bankrupt Vegan title is not just a clever moniker. If I have food growing in my backyard, I need to eat it!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was going to say persimmon too...and if they were/are I was/am going to be VERY jealous of you. Persimmons are SO freaking good. SO good! And they are expensive around here...I wish I could gro persimmons! Anyway, have you tasted one? Could that help you identify it?

Courtney

Jennifer M. said...

I have never tasted a persimmon, sadly, so that wouldn't help me. But I did crack one open to see what's inside, and I found large black seeds. I did a web search for persimmon seeds, and they do look the same! But when I looked up persimmon images, I couldn't find any fruit that looks exactly like mine. I noticed that there are several different types of persimmons, so maybe this is just a weird type. I think, now, that we are definitely looking at persimmons, but what kind? And, more importantly, are they edible??

Unknown said...

Here's some things I found when I looked up "Mini persimmon":

http://www.walterreeves.com/qa_display.phtml?qaID=1961

-and-

http://www.sierraflowerfinder.com/en/d/mini-persimmons/3598

I'd say they are edible :) And you're so lucky to have that tree in your backyard! They look so cute too haha.

I love to just slice them up and eat them raw, that's always good.
Or you could make persimmon bread, I'm sure that would taste fantastic!

Jennifer M. said...

Thank you, Monica! Yes, it's definitely the American Persimmon!! Your second link proved it.
YAY! I knew you guys would solve the mystery for me. Now I need to find a persimmon bread recipe. YUM!
=)

Danica Newton said...

Hi Jennifer! I found you via Pinterest, having just started a 30 day Vegan experiment. Last night was day one, and I made this salad ... oh mylanta it is delicious!!! I'm blogging about my journey, and will be linking all the recipes I try, so get ready for some track backs because I'm LOVING all the yummy things on your blog :)

Danica Newton said...

Hi Jennifer! I found you via Pinterest, having just started a 30 day Vegan experiment. Last night was day one, and I made this salad ... oh mylanta it is delicious!!! I'm blogging about my journey, and will be linking all the recipes I try, so get ready for some track backs because I'm LOVING all the yummy things on your blog :)

name said...

the fruit doesnt look very familiar but your tree looks like a fig tree