Recipe Fridays: Raw, vegan massaged kale salad

I am never going to be a raw foodie. I don't have the time, or commitment. But, sometimes I like to browse raw food recipes, and pretend I am someone much more organized, who cooks a lot more, and who cares a lot more about my health than I actually am. But, even if you are not (as I am not) ever going to be all raw or all vegan, it's nice to steal the best parts of those lifestyles! As such, here's the one raw food recipe I've fully embraced in my own life, because it's easy to make, totally delicious, and packed with nutrients. You can find versions of it over at Choosing Raw, but this is my own take.

1 bunch kale
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currants (or other dried fruit, such as cranberries or cherries)
Lemon juice or vinegar (white or red wine or apple cider)
Olive oil, sea salt, fresh pepper.

Wash kale thoroughly, rubbing each leaf to remove grit. Shake dry. Cut off stems, and, if you wish, cut out the stem part of the larger leaves. Gather as many kale leaves as you can in your hand, folding them over each other and scrunching them to form a "log" of leaves. Using a sharp knife, cut very thin "slices" off the "log", creating a chiffonade of kale.

Place kale in a large non-metallic bowl (it will shrink down, but for now you need room for mixing). Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves, rubbing in the olive oil and sea salt, until the kale is a softer texture, turns bright green, and has reduced in size. Taste the leaves to see if they are easy to chew, if not, continue rubbing for a few seconds. (This massaging process breaks down the kale leaves slightly, and makes them more pleasant to chew and easier to digest without cooking, hence this being a raw food recipe).

Place the currants in a bowl, and pour boiling water over them. Let stand, then drain before using. (This is optional, but will make them more tender). If using a larger dried fruit, such as cranberries, cut in halves or quarters. Heat a dry skillet, and lightly toast pine nuts until they smell fragrant and just turn golden, but do not brown (stir frequently). If you want something fully raw, skip this step.

Either squeeze 1/2 lemon or pour about 1 tablespoon vinegar over the kale. Grind fresh pepper generously on top. Add dried fruit and pine nuts, toss, and serve. If you're not raw or vegan, a grating of Parmesan cheese on top of this would be wonderful.

[Image via Living Vision]