The Win-Dow Copycat Kale Salad

& my inspiration era

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

Hello and Happy October!

I’ve been catching up on work (and sleep) this week, following my sister’s wedding weekend! I had such a good time, but it’s back to the grind until we leave again for one more wedding this weekend!

I feel like I’m in my “inspiration” era right now. I’m on a quest to become inspired — in food, yes, but also in life, fashion, design, etc. I’m a very visual person, and I garner most of my inspiration from looking at things. I’ve been Pinteresting up the wazoo, and I’m about to comb through all my cookbooks and start bookmarking like there’s no tomorrow. I also think it’s time for me to craft my own vision board.

I’m really trying to use this time before the holidays to light a fire under my ass and start doing something different. Having visual reminders of these things helps me get going, which is also why I’m such a list and notebook girl!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

Abbey Yung is my TikTok hair guru, and she has been recommending this OGX Coconut Oil Hair Treatment as a way to strengthen your ends. I love a good hair oil, and I’ve been so pleased with this one! Abbey suggests oiling your hair and letting it sit before a shampoo, but I’ve also been using it on my ends after it’s been washed, and my hair feels smooth and soft.

I love a solid white tank for layering, and I’m obsessed with the cut of this Tailored Crop Tank from Madewell. As someone with a larger chest, I’m a big fan of a square neck, and I also love how thick and substantial the material feels. It also has a little bit of stretch, so it’s super comfy. And it comes in other lovely neutral colors!

Grant and I both just got new water bottles in an attempt to move away from plastic, and through all his research, my husband found these Purist Water Bottles, which are a bit special. They are made with stainless steel, so you get the perks of keeping your water cold/hot, but there’s a layer of glass on the inside that prevents the flavor of the water from getting weird. Grant told me someone tested the bottle out by leaving kombucha in it for a month in the car, and after they washed it out and filled it with water, you couldn’t taste a thing!

RECIPE!

Grant and I love to get burgers from The Win-Dow in LA, and they also happen to have one of my favorite kale salads in the world, which coming from me means a lot. It’s a lemony kale loaded with pecorino, and I order it every time we eat there. It dawned on me the other day that I needed to recreate it, and I have to say, I think I nailed it!

The homemade croutons really take the salad to the next level, and I also think the golden raisins are essential for that dash of sweetness (I got mine from Trader Joe’s). If you love my classic lemony parmesan kale salad, you’re going to love this one too!

The Win-Dow Copycat Kale Salad

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

Salad

• 2 bunches curly kale, stems removed and finely chopped (about 4-5 cups)

• ¾ cup thinly sliced red onion

• ½ cup pine nuts

• ½ cup golden raisins

• 1 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, divided

Crouton

• 2 slices of sourdough bread

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Lemon Dressing

• 4 cloves garlic

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Pinch of salt & pepper

1. Start by preparing your croutons. Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut or rip your bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to a medium bowl and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Spread evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through.

2. While croutons are baking, prepare the salad. Add the kale to a large bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and use your hands to massage the kale. This will help break down the fibers to soften the kale and make it less bitter.

3. Add the red onion, pine nuts, golden raisins, and 1 cup of the Pecorino Romano. When croutons are ready, let them cool, and add to the salad as well.

4. Prepare the dressing by whisking ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to the salad, and toss everything together. Serve topped with the remaining grated Pecorino Romano.