Thanksgiving Kale Salad — Kale Me Maybe

If you're anything like me during the holidays season, you're looking around at all the heavy creamed food and abundant meat platters and wondering "Where is the salad?!" I'm always on the hunt for vegetable options, not just because they're healthy, but also because my meal just doesn't feel right without them.

The good news is, you can still make festive, delicious food that also happens to be nutritious. Plus, you can always enjoy them next to your turkey and pumpkin pie. That's why I've partnered with Bon Appétit Magazine and ALDI to come up with the ultimate Thanksgiving Kale Salad. This baby is made with ginger-roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, pecans, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs, all tossed in a lemon garlic dressing.

All these ingredients are available at ALDI, which means your ingredients will not only be healthy and organic, but affordable as well. Plus, I love any excuse to fit kale into any meal ;)

Ingredients (serves 4)

Ingredients for Ginger-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 1/2 cups diced sweet potato
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of salt and pepper

Ingredients for Salad

4 cups of chopped kale
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic (or 3 small)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Add sweet potato to a small bowl, and toss with olive oil and ginger until evenly coated. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and top with a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.

2. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, begin to prepare the rest of the salad. Add the chopped kale to a large bowl, and add the sea salt and olive oil. Massage the kale, rubbing the leaves between your fingers to soften. Massage until the fiber in the leaves have broken down and the kale fees soft.

3. Finely chop up the garlic until it forms almost a paste. Add to the kale, and toss until the leaves are evenly coated.

4. When sweet potatoes are finished, let cool for 10-15 minutes. Then add sweet potatoes to the kale bowl along with the cranberries, pecans, and grated Parmesan cheese. Add lemon juice and breadcrumbs, and toss until everything is evenly coated.