Raw Kale Salad

I love kale, particularly dinosaur kale, but wouldn't have thought of having it raw in a salad unless I had been inspired to recreate the "I Am Giving" Marinated Kale Salad from Cafe Gratitude, a raw, vegan restaurant.

I don't think they use dinosaur kale in their recipe and on first making this dish, some of the kale was a little too bitter for my taste. I'll have to try it with other types of kale and see if it makes a difference. It keeps remarkably well, maintaining its crispness, and 3 days after making it, it is still good and there's none of the original bitterness. I winged it a bit on proportions and my version came out a little too oily to my taste. Beyond eating it straight up, I think adding some sweet raw red peppers and plain tofu would move it beyond a side dish. Also, try stuffing it in a pita with your favorite hummus. Next time, I'll add some sweet, juicy snap peas!

Raw Kale Salad:
2/3 bunch of dinosaur kale, stems removed, cut into small ribbons
5 button mushrooms, sliced and marinated in lemon juice and soy sauce (the original recipe calls for shiitake, but I'm not keen on them)
1/3 julienned carrots
3 inch English cucumber, julienned
sesame seeds to garnish

Marinade:
1/6 cup of olive oil (I used 1/4 cup and thought it was too much)
1/8 cup orange juice
1 TBS soy sauce
1 1/2 TBS rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
salt to taste

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Combine the kale, carrots, mushrooms and cucumber in a bowl. Toss with the marinade. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.