Kale Salad with Sun Dried Tomato and Dried Cranberries

One human was harmed in the making of this dinner.

Messing up what was otherwise a perfectly vegan meal, I seared a thick cut of pork loin before adding the metal-handled pan to a hot oven so it could cook through. Once it was done, I pulled the pan out to the stovetop and removed the meat to a plate with tongs – so the juices would settle before slicing. Moving quickly along, my next step was to use that same pan to simmer the garlic for the recipe below. And so I shifted the pan over to the other bur…OUCH! I skipped a step and didn’t use a pot holder!

Less than a second passed before I dropped the pan and then I had to think quick and perform some first aid. In case you burn yourself, take my non-medical and unoffical advice for what to do with a minor burn:

1. Make sure there’s no broken skin or serious blistering. If there is, seek medical help.
2. Run your hand under cool (not too cold) water for 10-15 minutes to stop the active burning.
3. Bandage any broken skin with clean and lint-free cotton. If there’s no broken skin, that aloe vera plant you’re growing might help.
4. Take an ibuprofen or aspirin for the pain.
5. Update your Facebook/Twitter status to reflect your epic failure.

And lastly, keep cooking dinner. You’ve put your body into this meal!

Fact: If this meal had been vegan, I would not have burned my hand

Kale Salad with Sun Dried Tomato and Dried Cranberries

One added benefit of a kale salad: since the greens are so hardy, you can dress the salad at dinner and bring leftovers for lunch the next day. This recipe is for two large and healthy servings.

1/2 pound kale
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
5 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. wine vinegar (I used sherry vinegar, but no rules)

Wash kale in a large bowl of cold water. Stir to release the dirt, replace the water, and repeat until there’s no grit left.

Rip out the stem and center vein of the kale with your hands – they will give your jaw a workout if you’re eating this raw. Rip or cut leaves to your desired size for the salad. Add to a large salad bowl with red onion, sundried tomatoes and cranberries.

In a shallow frying pan, gently cook garlic in olive oil until just tender but not darkened. Pour hot oil over kale, tossing to distribute. Toss with vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.