I really tried not to post two “salad” recipes in a row, but I’ve been a crazy traveling lady (hit 100,000 miles on my car last week!) and this is the newest thing I’ve made. So basically I’m saying it’s a coincidence and I haven’t fallen down the #weddingdiet rabbit hole. At least not this early.

I say it’s early, but when I’ve told people we’re getting married in June I’m getting reactions of pure shock and horror. Apparently two year engagements are more normal now. No, I’m not pregnant. Thanks for asking!!

I am a detail obsessed control freak so I think 9+ months to plan is more than sufficient. Especially since the GS is a pro at creating color-coded Google docs. We even installed a 7 day free trial of Photoshop to design our own save-the-dates! Crushing it.

Last week I was out in California for a whole 48 hours and had a quick dinner at my friend Lisa’s house, and she made this salad. It’s based on this recipe, but mine was probably closer to her adaptation so I’m giving her the credit.

Napa Valley Kale Salad

3 cups kale, ribs removed and “massaged”

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped and rinsed

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

for the dressing

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 tablespoons anchovy paste

1/2 shallot, minced

10-12 basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Note- this probably makes more dressing than is needed so dress it slowly and then see if you need more.

Am I going to teach you how to assemble a salad? I guess so.

The key to kale salads is to really break up the leaves so that they aren’t so stiff and hard to chew. When you mix them in with the romaine here you hardly notice the difference between the two lettuces. And then we throw basil in, too! All the greens.

The first night I made this I was in a complete rush so I made the quinoa right before and put it in the salad hot- NOPE. It was actually still delicious because the dressing is that good but there’s something off-putting about hot romaine lettuce. So make it ahead of time so that it cools down. Toasting the almonds ahead of time is a good idea, as well.

The second time I made it I also added chicken- my new favorite way to make chicken is to slice it really thin, place it on foil, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and broil at 500 degrees for 5-7 minutes on each side. It’s so thin and crispy and delicious and perfect for salads or even just for snacking.

Am I the only one who snacks on plain chicken? #weddingdiet?!