Raw Kale Salad with Balsamic, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan

Brit and Jeff made this one evening and forwarded the recipe over to me.  It sounds amazing and she said it was fantastic.  So I decided to put this one on the blog too!  I will make it very soon.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped (or whole golden raisins or currants) -- I will probably use the cranberries
1/3 cup pine nuts (can substitute slivered almonds)
1 pound fresh Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale), about 2-3 bunches, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, packed

Directions:
Heat a small skillet on medium high heat.  Spread the pine nuts in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Remove to a bowl and cool.  Note:  when toasting nuts, do not take your eyes off of them!  Nuts can go from browned to burned very quickly.

Use a sharp knife to cut out the tough midrib of each kale leaf and discard or compost.  Slice the leaves crosswise into thin 1/4-inch wide slices.  The easiest way to do this is to work with a small bunch of leaves at a time.  Stack the leaves and roll them into a loose cigar shape.  Then using a sharp knife, work from one end of the "cigar" to the other, slicing 1/4-inch off from the end.  Place the kale slices into a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.  A half hour to an hour before serving, toss the kale with the toasted nuts, the dried cranberries, and the dressing, allowing the kale to marinate a bit.  Immediately before serving, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Recipe: EATZ (Easy Weeknight EATZ)