Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

Yoga makes me crave big, beautiful salads and after a wonderful yoga class this morning, this salad was the perfect fit! Kale and avocado are also two of my favourite foods ever! I eat both almost everyday. Power yoga was pretty tough and sweaty this morning, I was starving after so I scarfed this salad down in about 5 minutes!

Now before I move onto the salad, a few things about yoga. Sometimes when I’m practicing yoga, I can’t slow down my mind, my poses or my breathe. I’m all over the place, unfocused or just thinking that I have to get a good workout out of it. However, over the last few months I’ve once again been able to completely be in the moment. I love it, and how amazing it is when it happens. Everything opens up and it’s just you and your breathe. You can move farther into poses than you’ve ever been able to before, you’re balanced and they come with ease. Body and mind are in sync. It’s such a beautiful thing. Anyways, more about yoga another day, for now here are a few thoughts my yoga teacher shared this morning.

1. Be a yes. 
2. Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot, you are right.
3. Stay in it and breathe when things get tough.
4. Be curious. Want to know.

Okay, Salad time!

To make this salad for two people you will need:

• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 bunch of kale
• 3 cups field greens
• 4 strawberries
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1/2 an orange pepper
• 6 slices of cucumber
• lemon
• olive oil
• sea salt

For the dressing you will need:

• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Wash and prepare the kale by tearing the leaves away from the stems. Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon and a bit of sea salt. Massage it a little to ensure all the pieces are coated, set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

2. Divide the field greens into two bowls.

3. Chop the orange pepper into thin slices, slice the avocado and remove from the skin, slice the strawberries, slice the cucumbers. Top the field greens with the kale and sliced ingredients. I like to make it look pretty but you can just throw it all in if you want, it’s gonna end up that way anyway!

4. Time for the dressing! It’s so complicated to make, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Yes, very difficult.

5. Top the salad with the dressing.

6. EAT! And feel good about all the wonderful vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and all-around goodness you’re putting in your body~delicious.

Yoga, chia pudding, coffee and this salad made for a perfect weekend morning. And it was much needed because I’m probably going to eat some greasy pub food tonight and drink a few beers, hockey time baby!

Here is the yummy chia pudding I had for breakfast. It had chia seeds of course, topped with a drizzle of honey, 1 chopped date, a few pumpkin seeds, 1 small banana and a big scoop of peanut butter.

That’s all for me! Have a wonderful day everyone!

xo -Deryn