Roasted Poblano Cilantro Pesto Kale Salad

This is unique full of flavor salad and the best part is it’s what I had on hand which means you can add or subtract ingredients that you have or like better, keeping to the Mexican theme of it. A couple ideas would be corn, red bell peppers, avocado and jicama. What else would you use?

This weekend was a beautiful one to say the least. Everyone assumes California is always sunny but that isn’t true here in northern California, actually we have more sun in the winter than the summer most the time. Don’t get me wrong we do have nice summer days but we have a lot of foggy days too. Since it was a beach day I made this salad to bring, along with some roasted poblano cilantro pesto, P’ tit Basque cheese, Mahon cheese, raw walnuts and almonds, Fuji apples, grapes and some Albarino wine. There is nothing better than a picnic in my opinion!

I enjoyed this salad with Albarino wine but it would also go well with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, White Rioja or a Rose.

Recipe – 4 – 6 Servings

1 Head of Kale (I use lacinato)
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups cooked Black Beans
3/4 Cup Roasted Poblano Cilantro Pesto
2 Large Tomatoes (I used yellow)
1 Roasted Poblano Pepper
1/4 Red Onion
1/2 Cup Red Cabbage
1/4 Cup Cilantro (optional)
1 – 2 Jalapeno Pepper
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:

Start the black beans, while they are cooking make the pesto and roast the poblano (all can be done the day ahead)

Wash the kale and tear off main rib by holding the end of the stem and sliding off the leaves then chop in to thin strips

Put the kale in a large bowl with the olive oil and massage the oil in to the kale

Dice in to small piece the onion, poblano and red cabbage and measure , then add to kale

Mince the jalapeno and add to kale

Chop the tomatoes and set aside

Mix together the pesto, vinegar and salt add to kale and mix well then drain the beans and add along with the tomatoes

*You can also mix the dressing with the kale and mix everything else in a bowl and top on individual servings of the kale.

Health benefits:

Kale is low in calories, high in fiber and it is a loaded with antioxidants which helps detox the liver. It is also an anti-inflammatory with omega-3 fatty acids, which is helpful for arthritis, joint pain and asthma. Kale has more Iron than beef and more calcium than milk which helps prevents osteoporosis, joint flexibility and helps maintain normal bone health. It is great for cardiovascular support that helps in lowering cholesterol. It is really high in vitamin A, C, and super high in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K (anyone taking anticoagulants should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K that may interfere with the drugs.) More on kale

Poblano Peppers are extremely high in vitamin C; just one pepper has 95% of your daily value. They are great for your immune system; poblanos help reduce inflammation like in arthritis and asthma. They contain lycopene (a powerful antioxidant, giving many fruits and vegetables their color, especially tomatoes), which is great for the prevention of cancers in the bladder, prostate, cervix and pancreas. They are also helpful with increasing oxygen so the body can burn more calories 20 minutes after eating peppers.

Cilantro is an immune-booster that helps detoxify the body by loosening them from the tissue, binding to and pulling out toxins and heavy metals. It helps promote healthy liver function and is an overall digestive aid. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory that may help symptoms of arthritis and joint pain. It also helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar. It is rich in antioxidants, essential oils, vitamins (one of the richest herbal sources for vitamin K) and dietary fiber.