When the weather heats up & the body starts to feel a bit sluggish & lethargic, nothing tonifies & detoxifies quite like a kale salad! This one is packed full of summer veggies straight from the local farms, massaged with a flavorful mix of roasted garlic olive oil, tahini, lemon juice & sea salt. Perfect for summer, summer, summertime…(don’t you love that video/song? I do!)
As I mentioned in my last post, this is my last Yoga Teacher Training Intensive weekend! We pack about 20 hours of yoga practice, meditation, presentation, demonstration, group work, dancing….& more over a 2 1/2 day period. There is a wonderful juice bar next to the studio, but I limit myself to once juice a weekend to keep within the budget. I try to pack myself a hearty lunch that will fuel me through the long afternoons. Kale salads are perfect because they hold up well to being pre-dressed, & actually get better over time. Quinoa salads are perfect as well, & I will be sharing a recipe for one very soon!
This weekend, each of us are teaching a 20 minute sequence to the entire class & our master teachers. Nerve wracking? A little bit! But I’ve been practicing my heart out – with fellow students, friends, & family, even walking around the house, standing in the shower, driving in the car verbally walking through my routine. If I could teach the dog yoga I would! 3 months ago when I embarked on this journey I was TERRIFIED to get up in front of people & teach! It’s just yoga, I know, right? What’s so scary about yoga? Nothing at all. But it’s been helpful to know that others in my training are facing the same fears. Slowly over the months I’ve begin to conquer my silly fear, let go of self judgment, & stand in my power. I’ve pushed myself far beyond where I would normally limit myself. I’ve wanted to quit a hundred times. But I challenged myself, & I am so proud!
I am not sure exactly when I will teach my sequence, but I designed it to be gentle, yet energizing flow that would be most appropriately practiced in the morning. By the time this post is published, I hope that I had gathered up enough courage to step into the teacher’s spot during our morning practice on the bay, & that the butterflies have subsided so I have an appetite to enjoy this beautiful salad. I’ll let you know how it goes!
- 4 handfuls of chopped kale
- 1 Tbsp. roasted garlic olive oil
- 1 tsp. tahini
- juice of ½ a large lemon
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ avocado, cubed
- ¼ cup red onion, small dice
- 1 Tbsp. raw pepita parma (link below), or store bought vegan parmesan
- Shred kale into bite sized pieces, then place 4 large handfuls in a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil, tahini, lemon juice & salt, & begin to "massage" the kale with your hands for 2-3 minutes until kale begins to break down
- Add the remaining veggies & toss to combine
- Dust with a bit of vegan parmesan
Before I forget, here is a link to my “pepita parmesan”, one of my most favorite ways to add a dash more flavor to a dish! It was wonderful sprinkled on this salad & gave it just a bit more of a savory bite.
Enjoy!!
Vegenista's Kitchen is a plant powered food blog dedicated to eating consciously & living compassionately.
I have just discovered the wonderful Choosing Raw site and followed the link to your own delicious site! Good luck with the training. I’ve just started training myself and have my second class to teach later today, followed by lunch for my volunteer students! This may be on the menu. Good luck!
Thank you! Good luck with your training as well! Mine was totally life changing. Hope you enjoy the salad :)