Roasted Kale Salad with Plums, Ricotta & Thyme

3 things that make my life easier:

1. Pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s

2. Having a favorite dressing on hand at all times (mine is the lemon & garlic dressing from Sol Food in San Rafael)

3. Adam

Everyone should get an Adam. No really though, everyone should get a favorite dressing that is light and goes with most things to toss on salads, over quinoa w/veggies, or to throw on top of lentils w/tomatoes. Since becoming completely overwhelmed by wedding details since school ended in May, I have had zero time to cook and even less time to put together anything delicious. This is where having “an Adam” comes in handy. For my bridal shower, my amazing Aunt Amy got me a subscription to Bon Apetit magazine. In this month’s issue, Adam found an incredibly delicious salad that he made for dinner the other night, which brings me to today’s post.

This salad was SO good. I made a few minor tweaks, not because I think I know better, but because I don’t have a grill, didn’t have honey on hand, am on a diet, and really like lemon. It’s the perfect salad for summer or if you’re in the mood for something light. It took, max, 20 minutes. This probably isn’t kid friendly since there are a lot of “weird” ingredients, but it’s definitely the right thing to cook up for some girlfriends or if you’re trying to win over the guy you’re dating and want him to officially become your boyfriend. Also pictured below are some really adorable items my step-mom canned for my bridal shower as a nod to myjerusalemkitchen. Hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from here

Serves: 1 hungry person

What you need:

About 2 tblsp olive oil

1 heaping tsp fresh thyme; chopped

1 heaping tsp lemon; zested

2 huge handfuls of kale; chopped

2 juicy, red and ready to be eaten plums; sliced into moons

1 tbslp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp agave nectar

2 tblsp of ricotta cheese (we had low-fat, but the fattier the tastier)

salt & pepper to taste

Turn on the oven to 450 F. Coat chopped kale with oil and a pinch or two of salt. Roast until slightly crispy but still a little soft (about 12 minutes in my crappy oven). Combine the oil, balsamic, agave, thyme, lemon zest and plums. Mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the plums and set aside on a plate. Keep remaining vinaigrette. Place ricotta on a plate slightly crumbled and in no particular design. Remove the kale from the oven and add to the vinaigrette mixture. Toss. Lay the kale over the ricotta and then add the plums on top. Enjoy!!