When foods are delicious to eat it’s a no brainer that you want to make them, but when you want to eat them and it’s fun to make them with your kids it’s a bonus. How many recipes can you say you don’t need knives or forks to prepare them? Every week I go back into the Weelicious archives to make a recipe that the kids loved as toddlers and try again now that they’re older. I remember day after day of the kids pulling kale out of the garden, breaking it into pieces, mashing it up with ripe avocado and lemon and then licking half of it off their hands. For this Rewind Wednesday I’m bringing back an old favorite you might not have tried before. Let me know how your family likes it!
Now that our garden is in full swing and producing all kinds of fruits and veggies, Kenya and Chloe are constantly begging me to let them cut things to make for lunch and dinner. I’m not sure how much kale I was offered as a kid (if any), but as soon as my kids see it blooming in the garden, they want to eat it. Even though I’ve been blessed with two good eaters, I’m still continually surprised by what they want to eat now. This process of starting an edible garden has been incredible. Without fail, if Kenya and Chloe helped to grow and pick it, they are the ones convincing me to let them eat it — not the other way around.
This Kale Avocado Salad recipe was inspired by my gardening mentor, Lauri, as she makes it all the time for her kids. Coincidently, another mom friend of ours also makes it with her three kids and let’s them smash the avocados in with the kale using their hands (Chloe assumed those honors for me). Both moms told me it was their kids’ favorite recipe, so with that kind of popularity I had to give it a try.
To make my version even easier for little mouths to chew, I cut the kale into thin ribbons (you can leave it in bigger pieces if you prefer). The kale becomes soft and tender when it’s mixed with the lemon and olive oil making it a nutrition-packed side dish that everyone I’ve served it to has loved. Even if you aren’t growing kale in your backyard, you’re going to want to after you taste this!
Kale Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Kale, chopped fine
- Juice of 1 Small Lemon
- 1/4 Tsp kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts
Instructions
- Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients and using your hands (or a spoon), stir to combine (it’s fun getting your hands in there to mash the avocado into chunks).
- Serve.
[…] Source: http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2011/06/01/kale-and-avocado-salad/ […]
This was actually kale i got from my garden 🙂
Catherine, was this dino kale? Can’t wait to try!
Kristen, try baking kale for him and making kale chips. My kids eat it hand over fist – even my “picky eater!”
There are lots of recipes for kale chips out there, but here’s ours: http://www.livingwiththreeboys.com/2010/12/your-kids-eat-that.html
I love the idea of kale and avocado together, but never would have thought of it on my own. Yummy!
I wish my son would eat leafy greens! I am going to make it for DH and I anyway. It reminds me of a salad I had at a local restaurant that specializes in Hawaiian Poke Poke. It was kale, avocados, raw sushi grade tuna, sesame seeds and a simple dressing. Yum!
This looks wonderful! Have been incorporating steamed kale into lots of recipes lately so this will be another very healthy (delish) way to get my family to eat it. Thank you!
The ‘babies should not have X food until X age’ stuff is entirely old wives’ tales; make with the kale. A healthy baby with no family history of allergies can have everything but honey from six months up; previous recommendations to delay nuts etc have been rescinded.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/t/experts-seek-debunk-baby-food-myths/ offers a little insight on this.
I would wait till she is 10 months, but you can always ask your doctor 🙂
You have to try this recipe for your baby!
http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2008/04/10/potato-kale-and-cheese-puree/
Do you know at what age babies can eat kale? I get a lot of organic kale from the CSA we belong to, and I would love to puree it into my baby’s food because it is so good for you. She is only 7 months old. I will save this recipe for when she is a little older.
What a pretty little side salad! Can’t wait to try it. Not sure if my picky guy will eat it, but I will always try and try again 🙂
Working on the android 🙂
I’m having the same knife problem. a friend of mine uses a lettuce knife and that seems to work for her kids. but your suggestions would be appreciated. also wanted to say that I am so happy to have found your website. I recommend it to all of my friends whether they have kids,or not. every single recipe I’ve tried has come out delicious. I feel like we r in sync bc whenever I’m thinking if a particular recipe, it shows up in my inbox. or,yesterday I bought kale and avacodo and this am, is a recipe for it! amazing .. I know u have an iPhone app but can u make one for android and iPad? keep up the good work. thx!
My husband recently bought a set of these 3-piece-set nylon knives from Curious Chef. They work pretty well. My 4-yr-old is using the smallest one now and with 3 sizes in the set, the knives practically grow with the kids 🙂
I got these cooking knives for my kids and they love them!
http://yhst-128276115412394.stores.yahoo.net/kidding-around-the-kitchen-cooking-utensils.html
My 2 year old, like your kids, lately wants to help me cut things up to eat and cook too. Do you have a recommendation for a kid-safe knife that they can use? I currently let her use a rounded butter knife to cut things but am wondering if it being so dull might actually be more dangerous? What do you think? What do you let your kids use? Thanks in advance!:)