In case you haven’t heard, kale will probably save your life. If you’re drowning, kale will swim out and rescue you. If you’ve fallen and you can’t get up, kale will call an ambulance and get you a pillow while you wait.

Luckily, kale can also be pretty tasty. Is there nothing you can’t do, kale?

Kale also does great work as a counselor. If you’ve had too many, oh, I don’t know, Cadbury eggs recently, a bowlful of kale with a zingy dressing will assuage your guilt.

It’s a simple concept, a kale Caesar salad. Strip it, steam it, dress it, eat it.

A kale protip I only learned recently: After thoroughly washing it, you can strip the leafy parts from the stems. Just tear it off from top to bottom easily.

Skip the croutons if you’re gluten-free, or just make them with GF bread. I’ve never used it for croutons myself, but apparently it works.

Psst… If you’re looking for a dairy-free (or vegan) version, you can always substitute the yogurty Caesar for this tahini dressing. Just saying…

Serves Serves 2

Kale Caesar Salad

15 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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On the Counter

The croutons
• 2 slices of barely-stale loaf bread, ideally sourdough, and ideally not sliced bread
• 2 tsp olive oil (extra virgin if you have it)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• a few grinds of fresh black pepper
The kale
• 100 g kale without stems
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice from 1 lemon wedge
• Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
The dressing
• 2 tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt
• Lemon juice from about 1/4 of a lemon
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce, or 1/8 tsp vegetarian miso paste
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced finely. (Don't use a garlic press as it will be too strong)
• Pinch of ground sea salt or table salt

What to Do

The croutons
• Chop your bread into about 2 cm (0.5 in) cubes. If it's very stale, you might need to drizzle oil on it to start and give it a few minutes to soften before chopping. If you do, skip the oil in the next step.
• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Toss the bread cubes, pepper and salt together.
• On a rimmed baking sheet or dish, spread the cubes out so they're one even layer.
• Bake for 5 minutes.
• Toss them around so other sides get exposure.
• Bake for a few more minutes, until golden brown, but check on them frequently.
The kale
• Thoroughly rinse and dry the kale.
• From the bottom strip the leaves from the stems in as few tears as possible.
• Lightly salt the torn kale leaves.
• In a steamer over a boiling pot of water, steam the kale for 5 minutes or until tender and still a vibrant green.
• Once it's ready, rinse it under cold water or give it an ice bath. You don't want to cook it any longer.
• Now, either rub (or toss if you're feeling lazy) the leaves with olive oil, then add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice and toss it together.
• You can make the dressing in advance, or while the kale is steaming.
The dressing
• Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce. Stir together thoroughly.
The salad
• Once it's finished, top the kale with dressing, croutons and some freshly grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese.

7.8.1.2

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https://www.onmykitchencounter.com/2016/03/30/kale-caesar-salad/

With summer winding down, it’s the right time to enjoy the last of the warm-weather barbecues, picnics and salads-as-main-dishes before the season of pumpkins, blustery walks and wooly sweaters comes in. I think pearl couscous salad is a fitting farewell to summer.

I’m sure it helps that pearl couscous is one of my new favorite things to eat. I can’t get enough! It takes no time at all (well, ok, maybe a few minutes) and it’s just perfect for a light lunch or as a side for a barbecue. Protip: Try it with lamb.

I have no idea what made me want it so intensely, I saw a recipe online and I decided that I absolutely had to have it … and I just keep going back for more bags of it. Giant/pearl/Israeli couscous is surprisingly different from regular couscous, even if it’s made from the same stuff, semolina flour. The chewy, springy texture makes a big difference, and it holds its own with other ingredients.

In the UK, you can find it at Waitrose and Tesco – probably the other shops too, but I haven’t tried. I’ve been getting my 500 g bags from Tesco at £0.89 each… not a bad investment for what ends up being quite a bit of couscous. Those suckers really grow in size.

There are so many different things you can pair with this big, chunky couscous, but I’ve decided to show you what I’ve been doing with it lately.

I think Greek/Mediterranean flavors work really well in the summer – even when I’m stuck inside a flat in the middle of London, I can imagine sitting by the beach with a big plate of couscous, cucumber and feta. (Everyone daydreams about that… right?) Since I’m not sure a warm, sunny holiday is in the cards this year, I think I’m just going to have to keep on indulging in chewy couscous and summery ingredients.

On the Counter

Serves: 4

200g (8 oz) pearl couscous
1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp reserved
200mL (1 cup) water
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 small cucumber (or 1/2 English cucumber) diced
1 roasted red pepper
50g (2oz) feta cheese
10 Greek olives, pitted and chopped
3 sprigs fresh parsley (or coriander/cilantro), chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt

pepper

Other ingredients I’ve used:

baby spinach

bok choy

cherry tomatoes

super-crispy bacon

diced chorizo

What to Do

Heat the 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan until shimmering. Add in the couscous, and stir frequently until it starts smelling nutty and turning slightly brown, about 2-3 minutes. (If you don’t stir frequently it will burn, so be careful!)

Add water, bring to a boil.Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the couscous is still chewy, but not hard in the center.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, cucumber, herbs, feta, olives, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.

Once the couscous is cooked, wash thoroughly with cold water.

Toss the couscous and the rest of the ingredients together, and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

And – that’s it!

Pearl couscous salad handles itself very well in the fridge, and makes for good leftovers. For the last barbecue of the season or a breezy picnic in the park, you can easily make it a day ahead.

June weather in the UK is unpredictable at best, which is something I’m still getting used to. Three years in, and I think I’m finally starting to accept that June is just going to be a mix of warm days, rainy days, and a combination of the two. But, some of those days are hot enough to justify a salad for dinner – and if it’s made with asparagus, I’m in.

I guess you could say that I’m still inspired by food we had in Sweden, as I had it saved from Anne’s Food Blog and finally got around to making it.

You don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen to make this, and it’s a lot more substantial than a bowl of lettuce. I’m hoping for a summer here in London that means more time to try interesting new salads… plus I’m looking forward to more iced coffee and sunny days.

We ate this without salmon for dinner, and with salmon for lunch the next day. (I’ve included instructions for poaching salmon at the end.)

Asparagus and Potato Salad Recipe

Serves: 4 (with or without salmon)

On the Counter

2.5 lbs (1 kg) new potatoes
1 lb (500 g) asparagus
1/2 lb (250 g) carrots, cut into chunks
2 scallions (green onions), sliced
3 tbsp creme fraiche (or slightly more sour cream)
3 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
salt, black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, optional

large bowl of ice and cold water
steamer

What to Do

Quarter the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until fork-tender but before they start falling apart. Drain and set them aside to cool.

Snap off the ends of the asparagus, and slice them into halves, length-wise. Steam them with a pinch of salt for 5-6 minutes until bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, boil the carrots in salted water for 6 minutes, until fork-tender.

Once the asparagus and carrots are cooked, plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Combine the sour cream, dijon and whole-grain mustard, with salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, mix in teaspoon of lemon juice for extra tanginess.

Toss with potatoes, carrots and asparagus. Serve, and sprinkle with sliced scallions.

Optional: Serve with poached salmon.

Poached Salmon Recipe

1 sprig parsley or dill
1 shallot, chopped
4 filets (3 oz or 85 g) of salmon, or 1 large piece of salmon (12 oz or 340 g)
1 cup water (or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine)

Sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt on both sides.

Add water/wine, herbs and shallot into a wide, flat-bottomed pot and bring to a simmer.

Place salmon, skin-side down, into the pan. Cover and begin to check the salmon at 5 minutes, until the flesh is entirely light pink.

Flake the salmon or serve as whole pieces, depending on your preference. If flaked, combine with the mustard cream and vegetables.