Here you go. A great way to clean out all the yummy stuff from the holidays and get the body back into healthy foods. I say that before I share my recipe for chocolate lasagna next week. Makes you kinda shudder, huh, but it’s good, I promise.

This salad was served to me when we were invited to a friend’s house for Christmas. It was flavorful and colorful. I don’t eat a lot of kale (understatement), but when I have, it tends to be bitter. I didn’t notice it at all in this recipe, maybe because the apple and raisins gave it a slight sweet taste, and the dressing was perfect.

4 c. packed finely chopped raw kale, preferable dinosaur kale----

(that’s funny).

1 large red apple-Fuji or Honeycrisp

1 c. thinly sliced celery

½ c. walnuts toasted and chopped, divided

¼ c. plus 2 Tbsp raisins, divided

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp water, more if needed

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp sea salt

Place kale in a large bowl. Add half the apple to kale along with the celery, ¼ c. walnuts and ¼ c. raisins. Put remaining apple in a blender along with remaining ¼ c. walnuts, remaining 2 Tbsp raisins, mustard, water, vinegar and salt. Puree’ until well combined and slightly thick, adding water if needed to thin. Pour dressing over kale salad and toss to combine

MY NOTES: I don’t have a lot to add to this, except maybe if it says toasted walnuts, it is worth the time to toast the nuts, as I find it gives them a different flavor. This dressing sure could be used for other salads, for instance, a green leaf, pear, walnut, and blue cheese salad.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!