Three Bean Kale Salad

 

I've always been a fan of three bean salad but wanted to make it more of a... salad.  Unlike traditional salad greens, kale holds up very well to the moisture of dressing.  In fact, raw kale is tastier once it's been marinated in dressing and softens up a bit.  I had this in my fridge for three days and there was no slime factor going on.   This makes it a prime pick for travel.  Just toss together and transport it in a mason jar.

I've used baby kale for this recipe.  I suspect that regular dinosaur kale (aka Lainato or Tuscan) would work well also but I recommend destemming slicing it in thin ribbons first.


 

Three Bean Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 can kidney beans
1 can white beans
1-2 cups green beans steamed tender crisp and cut in bite size pieces*
2.5 oz torn baby kale greens**
3 TB Dijon mustard
3 TB red wine vinegar
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

* I used frozen green beans from Trader Joes and steamed just enough to thaw but not make soggy. 
** 2.5 ounces doesn't sound like much but it was half of the pictured kale package.  I'd say about 3 large handfuls.

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and olive oil in a bowl.  Drain and rinse the canned beans then add all the remaining ingredients.  Toss together and refrigerate giving the flavors time to mingle.

Black Bean Cumin Lime Salad

I discovered I didn't have any bread Sunday night and was not about to go to the store before school on Monday. Fortunately I have a tried and true lunch staple that takes about 5 minutes to pull together.

There was a time when my kids came undone over green items in their lunch but we are slowly breaking them in.  Fresh spinach is a great starter green because it's virtually tasteless. 

On non picnic days I'm a big fan of Naturally Ella's 5 ingredient Black Beans and Rice.  Almost the same ingredients and just as easy to pull together.

I'm not sure if it compliments the beans but I also packed this raw Summer Corn Salad.  It's just what worked from my pantry at the moment. The Organic Tortilla Chips came from Target.  My new favorite.

Black Bean Cumin Lime Salad
Adapted from The Kitchn
Serves two small or one big appetite.

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh spinach
Juice of half lime
drizzle of oil, I use olive
1 tsp cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it.  That's it.

Optional additions:  Fly Guy takes an avocado in his bag and dices it right before eating..  Red pepper flakes are another of his favorites.  The boys love to put a huge dollop of plain whole yogurt on top.  Now that I think of it I could have put yogurt mixed with salsa in place of the corn in their containers.

Mason Jar Salad with Moonshine Dressing

Fly guy is way better about eating raw veggies than I am.  For his first few flight trips he packed bags and jars of cut up raw veggies.  I got a stomach ache just looking at them.  After eating carrot sticks and loads of bells peppers for four days his stomach joined me.  What a love story right?  Two stomachs become one....

Well you have to add some protein silly!  Maybe some jazzy dressing, peppery arugula, and cheese if you must.

Fast forward to a week later and he's sitting in the pilot lounge scarfing his jazzy salad thinking jazzy thoughts about his jazzy wife.  Jazzy:  Bright, colorful, showy.  Ok, maybe I'm a little showy. Another pilot (probably enviously) laid eyes on his salad.

"Whatcha eatin there boy?  Mighty colorful"

'Uhh... salad'

"And that some moonshine dressing to go with it?"

Thank you Mr. Smart Aleck Pilot.  The name has stuck and now my children will be telling strangers that their mama makes moonshine for their daddy to fly with.



Moonshine Dressing aka Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced or finely grated
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a small jar with lid tightly screwed on and give it a good shake.

Mason Jar Salad

These are straight forward but there is a method that will keep everything fresh longer.  These jars should last refrigerated for several days.

• Dressing goes on bottom. We use 2 TB.
• Then choose some firm veggies you don't mind soaking in dressing.  This is a great place to tame your raw onions.
• Then a layer of grains or protein.  Beans, meat, eggs, quinoa, ect.
• Last comes the greens.  It is important these are dry or your salad will break down quickly.

Store upright and then give a few good shakes before digging in.

White Bean Tuna Salad

I was getting the kids off to school this morning when Fly Guy got a call for a day trip to Chicago. I had just torn out a recipe from Better Homes and Garden magazine the day before. In part because it was easy but mostly because we rarely eat meat so I expect my kids to throw a party in my honor once they find tuna in the fridge.

Here is the original White Bean Tuna Salad recipe.  But I will have you know I cut the tuna down to one can then added some grape tomatoes to protect the arugula from the vinaigrette soaked beans.