Castellon's Kitchen: Autumn Slaw with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Thanksgiving is all about the sides for me. From garlicky mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy corn casseroles, savory dressings and bread puddings, to green bean casseroles. All those comforting, rib-sticking side dishes are what I look forward to the most for Thanksgiving. However, I find I still long for fresh veggies on Thanksgiving. This recipe for Autumn Slaw is a delicious way to add a little green to all that comforting, sleep inducing, tryptophan-laced Thanksgiving meal.

Wait, wait, wait, I know what your thinking...You hate Kale. I know. Kale is a tough sell for my husband too. And my mom, and probably my brother and sister-in-law...and forget about my kids...None of them are friends with Kale. Don't be afraid, here are a few secrets to make kale taste good.
First, if using it raw in a salad, it needs to be rubbed between your hands and massaged. Gather up a big handful of Kale and rub it back and forth and roll it into a ball and break up all that fibrous toughness. Work in batches rubbing all the leaves, wash and spin and now you're ready to rock your salad.
Next, I think it's best when paired with something sweet, like fruit. Kale can be a bit bitter, so pairing it with fruit or a sweet salad dressing helps balance some it's harsher qualities. One more secret, is to cook it. Braising, roasting or sauteing this green makes it uber delicious. Savory onions, garlic and sweet balsamic butter really makes this wild cabbage sing in my Braised Kale and Onions with Balsamic Butter recipe below.
Anyway back to my kale-hating family, namely my hubby...I had little faith that my husband would touch this salad but to my amazement, he loved this salad and even had two servings. He even ate it for leftovers the next day too. Can you believe it? I love this Autumn Slaw and my husband liked it so I'm going to attempt to bring to Thanksgiving this year and see if the rest of my family will like it too. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Autumn Slaw with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 8-10
Maple Mustard Dressing
1 small shallot, finely minced (~1 Tbsp)
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the shallots mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the canola oil while whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

In a skillet, add pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter and heat over medium heat until sugar is melted and nuts are coated. About 5 minutes. Turn out on a parchment paper to cool. Set aside.

Salad ingredients
3 large bunches of curly kale, chopped and rubbed
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks (I used purple carrots)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
1 cup candied pumpkin seeds

The secret to using Kale is to use only the curly parts of the leaves and remove all the fibrous stems. I tear it right from the stems, rather than cutting it. Kale is best when massaged, or rubbed between your hands, like what you do when your hands get cold and you rub them together to heat them up. Working in batches, grab a handful and rub it back and forth and roll it into a ball in your hands. Then, place the rubbed kale in a salad spinner. It seems like a weird thing to do but it really helps soften the fibrous leaves. Once you rub all the kale, rinse and spin in a salad spinner.

I used purple carrots for this salad because I like the two toned color of them. When cut into matchsticks they look like flames. Neat-o!

Add Kale, carrots and cranberries to a bowl and coat with about half the dressing. Do not add the red cabbage at this time, you'll add the cabbage right before serving to prevent the color from bleeding and turning everything purple. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. This will help soften the kale further and plump up the dried cranberries just a little. The kale will shrink as the dressing wilts it a bit. Right before serving, add the red cabbage and toss, only adding additional dressing if needed. Top with lots of crunchy candied pumpkin seeds and enjoy!