Delicious Kale Salad with Argan Oil

Asian cuisine is a general term for the different cooking styles of Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and other Asian countries. The traditional emphasis is on highly aromatic but easily prepared foods. Stir-frying, steaming or boiling is usually enhanced with spices and seasonings including citrus juices, soy sauce, fish sauce, peanuts, lemongrass and tamarind.

The increasing popularity of fusion cuisines is brought about by the growing number of Asian migrants in the western countries. Asian restaurants that used to cater only to Asians have broadened their appeal and modified traditional recipes to suit the Western taste. Recently, Asian-inspired Salads have joined egg rolls and fortune cookies in the roster of Westernized Asian dishes.

The Recipe: Asian Kale Salad

The following recipe has fused the healthy goodness of kale with the great taste of Asian salads. Kale is one of the most tasty and attractive vegetables with its deep green color and curly leaves. Peanut oil and sesame seeds are two ingredients typical to Asian cuisine which give dishes that distinct taste of Asia.

The recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients that blend together for a truly great dish that you can serve along with any meal. I have added breadcrumbs for that extra crunch everybody loves.

Ingredients

• 2 heads of Kale (either brightly coloured or regular)
• Peanut oil about 2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds about ½ cup
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• soy sauce about 2 tbsp
• white vinegar about ¼ cup
• sugar about ½ cup
• vegetable oil about ¾ cup
• mandarin oranges, drained (1 can of 8.25-oz)
• Argan oil about 2 tbsp
• thinly sliced country bread (optional) about 2 slices

How to Prepare

1. Wash kale and shake off excess water.
2. Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Cut the kale into ¾ inch ribbons or bite sized pieces.
3. Place the kale in a large bowl and top with mandarin oranges and bread crumbs.
4. If you are using bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Break into small pieces. You can decide on the crumb size you like.
5. Get your sauce pan and start with a medium heat for the peanut oil.
6. Pour in the sesame seeds and garlic then sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until you can see that the seeds are with a golden brown colour.
7. Lower the heat and then add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and vegetable oil. Cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Pour the warm dressing over the kale mixture and mix until the dressing evenly coats the kale, mandarin and bread crumbs.

Drizzle Argan oil over the salad and serve immediately. The nutty taste of Argan oil blends in well with the aromatic sesame seeds and peanut oil. Other great add-ins includes chili flakes for that truly authentic and great-tasting Asian salad experience.