Smoked Almond Kale Bowls

We both love to cook and make dinner for our families just about every night of the work week. We are constantly trying new things and sharing recipes, and when we find a good one, it sticks and everyone in our family starts making it. One of our most loved and most made recipes are Smoked Almond Kale Bowls. These bowls are super simple, can be prepped ahead of time, help us get our greens in, and most importantly, they are delicious.

Directions:

For the marinated kale: Wash, dry and stem 1 large bunch of lacinato kale, then cut the leaves into thing strips and put into large ziploc or sealable container. Add the juice of 1 large lemon, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Massage all the ingredients together, then seal the bag or container and shake. Let this sit for at least an hour or refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.

Pile steamed grains of your choice in a bowl (farro, quinoa, or brown rice). Drizzle grains with olive oil, then top with grated Parmesan. Top with marinated kale, then more Parmesan. Finish with small handful of smoked almonds.

*This recipe does not call for any additional protein to the almonds and both of our husbands insist it isn’t a “real meal” with out meat. So, we often top with rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken breast, or chicken sausage.

Tips for making this recipe even more simple than it already is (because, kids): (1) buy Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds (rather than making your own); (3) buy the bagged organic quinoa and brown rice 90 second microwaveable bags from QFC or the frozen microwaveable brown rice or quinoa from Trader Joes; and (3) squeeze a bunch of lemons and store in mason jar to use throughout the week.

Let us know if you try it!