sweet kale, brussels, and date salad + a new substack

As it turns out, this month marks ten years (a whole, entire decade!) since I first posted a slapdash recipe for bibimbap here on Two Red Bowls. One month away from graduating from law school, wrapped up in a down jacket indoors in a frigid apartment in Massachusetts, when Obama was President and I owned not a single KN-95–truly a different life.

In a few ways I feel like not much has changed–we do still love a generous bowl of bibimbap, extra sauce and a very runny egg, please–but in most other ways, even ignoring a pandemic and anything to do with politics, a lot has. Luke is now a whopping six and a half, a full-fledged kindergartener currently drawing a dinosaur in purple crayon at the table with me, while Clara (now four) naps and Fiona (almost two!) talks to herself in the crib across the room from Clara because she should be napping but fell asleep on the way back from Luke’s basketball practice this morning.

These tiny hurricanes keep our life consistently full and hilarious. That said, between our little bowls and this job of mine, I clearly have not figured out how to work in the time to cook or write about food like I did when we were two skinny twenty-somethings living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn. I was coming to assume that I simply wouldn’t, quite frankly, until my dear friend Hetty persuaded me to try something new. So, here is the something:

I know many long-time friends here do get my posts via email, but I’m hoping to try something a little different with Substack. As I wrote in my first newsletter, I have very modest goals, as I’d love to keep it up more than I have formal blogging. I’ll still plan to post recipes here, but I’m envisioning that the Substack will be a little more regular and more relaxed, to share things that don’t take much effort at all but still make this Bowl household happy, keep any rare person who is interested updated on our shenanigans, and share other places of the Internet that are catching my eye. I would love it if you’d like to join me there, too–and I thank you for being on this journey with me for all these years.

And now, finally, salad. The other reason I don’t have very much to share here, besides the time and the constant mild sleep deficits, is that we’re very, very boring as a family. Evidently, this is what happens if you take two people who love routines and have them make more of themselves. We have our solid favorites, we rotate between them, and very seldomly, we find something new to include.

But that does mean that when we find it, it’s a really good one. This salad is one of those. I went through a phase where I demolished a 9×13 pan of this every week. Fiona, who is our most ravenous child and hasn’t met a dish she doesn’t like–especially if it’s Mom or Dad who’s eating it–comes running into the kitchen whenever she thinks I’m pulling it out of the fridge, crying “Saya, saya!” (“Salad, salad!”). She plops right down wherever I’m standing and waits with her mouth open, and we usually share a bowl sitting together on the kitchen floor.

I can’t remember who it was, but I remember a fellow blogger long ago commenting that she didn’t favor the sorts of bone-chilling, water-heavy salads with iceberg lettuce and cucumber in the wintertime, but the heartier, more robust sorts, and I think that’s exactly why we’ve been loving this. It gets its bones from deeply savory roasted Brussels sprouts and sautéed kale–normally a bit acerbic but made mellow and flavorful by a quick cook. The brief heat (plus, throwing in the kale stems with the leaves, because you can’t bother me to cut out the ribs) means you still get delightful crunch. And it’s lifted by a bright, zingy honey mustard vinaigrette, balanced by sweetness from dates and sweet potato, and if you like, you can add some sliced almonds and quinoa for heft.

It’s rich, a party of textures and flavors, and filling–yet good for you–and it lasts easily for 4-5 days. I will say that I’ve found it tastes better with a few hours or a day to allow the flavors to develop and build on each other. All in all, I will be eating it until LA warms into summer, always later than you might expect. I’m already anticipating it will be a perfect side for the holidays, too. I hope you love it as much as I do. Or, even better, as much as Fiona does.

And, finally, one more thank you for sticking around this humble corner of the Internet for all these years!

sweet kale, brussels, and date salad + a new substack

Print Recipe

This makes enough for a crowd, and while it’s labor-intensive, it’s a good pastime for a weekend naptime and worth it to have hearty lunches throughout the week.  (That said, I’ve added some shortcuts in the Notes–in particular, this sweet kale salad kit from Costco works really nicely in a pinch.)  Please make this ahead–it tastes much better with a few hours for all the flavors to meld. It lasts easily for 4-5 days in the fridge.

• Author: tworedbowls
• Total Time: 60-80 minutes
• Yield: serves 6-8 as a side, 4-5 for lunch

Ingredients

For the salad:

¼ cup vegetable oil, divided

1 bunch lacinato kale, shredded

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

2–3 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), diced

½ to 1 cup chopped dates

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1 cup quinoa, uncooked (optional)

2 cups chicken broth (for the quinoa, optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1–2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and if you haven’t already, shred your kale, thinly slice your Brussels, and dice your sweet potatoes.  This is quite labor-intensive–see Notes for shortcuts.
2. While it’s heating, saute the kale:  Heat a few teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the kale, season generously with salt and pepper, and saute just until dark green and softened, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Roast the Brussels:  Toss the Brussels sprouts in about two tablespoons of oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper (I use maybe 1/4 teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon, respectively, but season to taste) until well-combined.  Spread evenly on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or foil–you may need to cook in batches–and roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until you see some nicely browned and roasted edges.  Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Roast the sweet potato:  Toss the diced sweet potato in about a tablespoon of oil and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast at 425 for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is browned at the edges and fork-tender.  
5. Make the quinoa (optional):  While the vegetables are roasting, make your quinoa according to the package directions.  I usually swap the water for chicken stock for extra flavor.  When it’s done, fluff and set aside.
6. Make the salad dressing:  Next, make your salad dressing.  I saw this neat little trick from Jacques Pepin and love it–combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a Mason jar or other sealable jar, make sure the lid is securely shut, and shake vigorously until combined.  Easy, very little clean-up, and it emulsifies beautifully.
7. Combine:  Finally, combine everything–kale, Brussels, sweet potato, quinoa, chopped dates, almonds, quinoa if using, dressing–into a very large mixing bowl or, as I prefer to do, in the 9×13 baking dish I store it in.  Mix thoroughly and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before enjoying.

Notes

Swaps:  This is very customizable.  I like dates because I think the salad has plenty of tart from the vinaigrette, and I enjoy the warm caramelly notes you get from the dates (plus, did you know they pack quite a bit more in nutrients than other dried fruits?)  But you could use dried cranberries or cherries instead.  Pepitas or walnuts also work instead of almonds, and the vinaigrette would be delicious with a dollop of tahini, or maple syrup instead of honey.

Shortcuts:  You can use a kale and Brussels salad mix, like this one from Costco.  I use both packs in the Costco size and saute it all for about 4-5 minutes, instead of roasting the Brussels.  I’ve read that you could roast it all, too!  For the sweet potatoes, also try frozen packs of cubed sweet potatoes.  I like to keep a couple as backups.

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