You guys. I cannot tell you how much I love this recipe. Caesar salad with kale. Plus candied nuts. Plus hot sauce. Plus chicken. I hope the pictures are conveying the deliciousness or I’m going to have to keep inventing words like deliciousness to describe it. I think I’m loving on it so much because it has everything: salty, sweet, spicy. Crunch and creaminess. Hot and cold. Fresh and cooked. It hits so many notes in one bite.
In the recipe the instructions I included making the chicken, but if you already have some cooked up (or any other leftover protein for that matter) you can certainly just use that! I season my chicken breast with a Penzy’s Spice blend called Chicago Steak Seasoning. It was my brilliant sister who turned me onto using this on chicken breast. I’m realizing as I write this that I haven’t actually ever used the seasoning on steak. Or anything else haha. Just chicken. It’s so good. If you don’t have it, you can season the chicken breast with another grill seasoning blend or similar spices like salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, onion, lemon zest, and something smokey like liquid smoke (juuust a drop) or smoked paprika.
Speaking of chicken, I’ve become super interested in the last three weeks with where food comes from and why food industry makes food the way they do. It will amaze you. Ever wondered why you go to the store an see MASSIVE chicken breasts? Watch Food Inc. (It’s available on Netflix. Came out in 2008. Can’t believe I just saw it.) Do you know WHY junk food is so cheap? Why unhealthy processed foods are cheaper than fruits and vegetables? Do you know why we have E. coli in beef? I’m sure you’ve heard about chicken or beef being given growth hormones and antibiotics, but do you know why? The whole reason why, not just because we want to grow more animals, bigger and faster? Even if you don’t eat regularly at McDonald’s and you don’t “vote for them with your dollars”, they still dictate how beef is raised in the US because they are the biggest purchaser of beef (and potatoes) in the US.
For me it started over a month ago when I was in a local school district for one of my rotations (for my dietetic internship) and I watched the movie Fed Up in a high school class. (Also available on Netflix.) It was a really good documentary that just came out in 2014 about the state of our country’s obesity epidemic, how’d we get here, what’s day-to-day life like for some children struggling with obesity, and where do we go from here. I highly recommend it.
In regards to both movies, I’ve always thought of myself as a healthy person or someone interested in health. After watching these movies I realize how ignorant I was. If you’re into food/health at all, set aside a couple nights and watch these movies. After you eat Spicy Kale Caesar with Chicken and Candied Pepitas for dinner, of course.
Lastly, get excited people, there’s a VIDEO! Woop woop!
Don’t worry, there’s plenty of bloopers as always to keep you laughing and remind you that no one’s perfect in the kitchen. The fun is just getting your hands dirty. I also include them cause I like to keep it real. This blog isn’t meant to be intimidating. Pretty pictures get you to come to the site, but they can make things look too perfect or unattainable. I want to consistently convey that the point of this blog is to encourage you to cook, no matter what you make. (Especially for those of you new to the site, read more about my philosophy here.)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or your oil of choice)
- 2 chicken breasts
- Chicago Steak Seasoning from Penzey's (or see notes above in post)
- 1 large bunch lacinato kale (also known as dino/ Italian/ Tuscan kale)
- Caesar Lover's Salad Dressing , to taste
- Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce), to taste
- grated parmesan cheese, to taste
- cooking spray
- ¼ cup raw pepitas
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Heat a cast iron (or heavy bottom skillet) over medium heat. Season your chicken with the Chicago Steak Seasoning. Add coconut oil to pan. Add chicken and reduce heat slightly. Cook 5-6 minutes. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from heat and rest about 5 minutes. Dice and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Remove the kale leaves from the stems. Thinly slice the kale. Add to bowl with chicken. Dress with desired amount of Caesar Lover's Salad Dressing. Set aside.
- Spray a small dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Add pepitas to a small skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. When pepitas are slightly brown, add honey, cayenne, and salt. Stir for about 10-30 seconds. Transfer pepitas to greased dish to cool.
- To serve, place desired amount of kale/ chicken/ dressing mixture into a dish. Drizzle with sriracha, sprinkle parmesan, and top with candied pepitas. All hail Caesar!
What do you think of the recipe?? Have you seen the movies Food Inc. or Fed Up?
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