Written by April Ashcroft
Mexican Kale Salad
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin powder
4-5 oz. finely chopped kale (about 4 cups)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and scored in small chunks
2 jalapeno, finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
Juice of one lime
1 T unseasoned rice vinegar
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups cooked black beans or pinto beans
2 cups raw corn
Sea salt
Boil 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add rice, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin the last 5 minutes of cooking. Let cool.
Place kale in a large salad bowl. Add 1/4 of the avocado, lemon juice, and lime juice. Using your hands, massage kale with juices and avocado until kale is bright green and tender. Mix in remaining ingredients. Salt to taste.
Want more recipes? I’ll be hosting a Health 4 Life Cooking class Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in the St. George Community Building. It’s free, open to the public, and food samples will be provided. I’ll be demonstrating four recipes from my new cookbook, “Whole Food American Favorites,” and giving away as well as selling copies at a discounted price. Don’t miss it!
April Ashcroft is the co-founder of the Vegetarian Society of Utah. She adopted the vegan lifestyle in 1991, holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University, and teaches regular cooking classes at The Kitchen Corner in St. George.After years of developing recipes and collecting research on the health benefits of a plant-based diet, she published her first cookbook, “Whole Food Goodness,” and will release another, “Whole Food American Favorites,” this summer.
