I read somewhere that kale Caesar salad ought to be phased out in 2017, but I'm not one to stay ahead in food trends, i.e. the Buffalo Chicken Ranch Bake I posted last week which was my first buffalo chicken anything. I also won't stop eating something I love because someone says it's going out of style. I'll eat what I want thankyouverymuch. 
Remember that Whole30 Caesar Dressing I posted over the weekend? It found a good home over some massaged kale. (Three different kinds, even. That's what happens when you see organic kale on crazy sale at Whole Foods.) Have you ever massaged kale? Rub some citrus juice or vinegar and a little oil into the kale for a couple of minutes ask it how it's been doing lately. You know, massage. This does a couple of things -- it helps the kale to break down a little so it's softer and it also tames quite a bit of the bitter flavor. I would never sign up to eat raw kale until I tried it massaged. Changed my world. And I was completely shocked when all of my kids decided they liked it, too. 
After you massage it, add whatever dressing you want to it. In this case, I dressed it in caesar and added some garlic shrimp and crispy prosciutto. Now tell me that kale caesar salad should go out of style this year. That's what I thought. By the way, this is a super easy meal to serve on Valentine's Day -- especially if you happen to be doing a February Whole30. (I am, too!) You could cut the recipe in half and have plenty for two with a little leftover.
Kale Caesar Salad with Garlic Shrimp and Crispy Prosciutto
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Kale is so great in a caesar salad -- have you tried it? It's irresistible topped with garlic shrimp and pan-crisped prosciutto. (You can also use bacon instead of prosciutto!)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of kale (any kind)
- 1 large lemon
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound of medium or large, uncooked peeled shrimp
- 3 ounces of prosciutto
- 1 Tablespoon ghee or grass-fed butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 batch of Whole30 Caesar Dressing (or 1 ½ cups clean store-bought caesar dressing)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving.
Instructions
- Rinse the kale thoroughly (it can get kind of gritty) and remove the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. Lay the leaves in stacks and cut them in half lengthwise, then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Blot any excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel, then put the kale into a large salad bowl.
- Squeeze the juice from one lemon half over the kale (about 2 Tablespoons of juice) as well as the Tablespoon of olive oil. Use your hands to massage the juice and oil into the kale, about 1-2 minutes. The kale should be deep green and softened.
- Put the shrimp in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle them with the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir them around and set them aside.
- Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray (preferably coconut oil or avocado oil spray). Lay the prosciutto in the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to shrink and turn slightly brown on the bottom. Flip them over and cook for another couple of minutes until it reaches your desired crispness. Kind of like bacon. Transfer the prosciutto to a large plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the ghee and garlic to the pan, letting the garlic sizzle for a minute. Add the shrimp and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the shrimp, flipping them around in the garlic ghee, until they're just barely pink, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the prosciutto.
- Pour ⅔ of the dressing over the kale. Toss to combine and then add a little more if necessary. Top the salad with the garlic shrimp. Break up the prosciutto into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle it over the salad.
- Serve with a few cranks of black pepper.
Kale Caesar Salad with Garlic Shrimp and Crispy Prosciutto
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Kale is so great in a caesar salad -- have you tried it? It's irresistible topped with garlic shrimp and pan-crisped prosciutto. (You can also use bacon instead of prosciutto!)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of kale (any kind)
- 1 large lemon
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound of medium or large, uncooked peeled shrimp
- 3 ounces of prosciutto
- 1 Tablespoon ghee or grass-fed butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 batch of Whole30 Caesar Dressing (or 1 ½ cups clean store-bought caesar dressing)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving.
Instructions
- Rinse the kale thoroughly (it can get kind of gritty) and remove the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. Lay the leaves in stacks and cut them in half lengthwise, then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Blot any excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel, then put the kale into a large salad bowl.
- Squeeze the juice from one lemon half over the kale (about 2 Tablespoons of juice) as well as the Tablespoon of olive oil. Use your hands to massage the juice and oil into the kale, about 1-2 minutes. The kale should be deep green and softened.
- Put the shrimp in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle them with the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir them around and set them aside.
- Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray (preferably coconut oil or avocado oil spray). Lay the prosciutto in the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to shrink and turn slightly brown on the bottom. Flip them over and cook for another couple of minutes until it reaches your desired crispness. Kind of like bacon. Transfer the prosciutto to a large plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the ghee and garlic to the pan, letting the garlic sizzle for a minute. Add the shrimp and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the shrimp, flipping them around in the garlic ghee, until they're just barely pink, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the prosciutto.
- Pour ⅔ of the dressing over the kale. Toss to combine and then add a little more if necessary. Top the salad with the garlic shrimp. Break up the prosciutto into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle it over the salad.
- Serve with a few cranks of black pepper.
