Food & Wine Grammy Awards at Home Menu

Mare Evans CNW Contributing Writer

It’s Grammy Night and you’re prepared to enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Whether or not you choose to make it your dinner meal or late snack the kale, for family or a few friends, the kale salad will walk away as the definite winner. To accompany the award -winning kale salad, organic tortilla chips served along with some chorizo-truffle crema, guacamole and fresh salsa to lip-smacking snacks like the house-made cheddar stuffed pretzel poppers, chocolate bites and more will make it a festive celebration not to be missed. And of course, a nice red wine, and the many wonderful non-alcoholic beer beverage choices.

Make this snappy, fresh side dish for dinner or a light delight for your Grammy Night-in, this Kale salad/menu will be the co-star to you as the reigning star. Simply described, the dish is a lemony green salad, rich with tang and crunch. The dressing is nothing more than lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Its simplicity makes it perfect.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

• 2cups sliced almonds

• ⅓cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)

• Kosher salt

• 1½cups extra-virgin olive oil

• 4cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole

• 10 to 12ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)

• 1½cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

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Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional Information

1. Step 1

In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. Step 2

In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.

3. Step 3

Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch them together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)

4. Step 4

Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle the surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from the dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.