Easy Kale Salad

Today after yoga I REALLY wanted to go have a ridiculously unhealthy lunch. In fact I was fantasizing not only about eating something unhealthy for lunch, but also about having dessert afterwards!  Instead, because I am trying to stick to a plan of healthy eating and also trying to  save money by eating out less, I walked home and made myself a plate of healthy food- kale salad with fresh strawberries and pumpkin seeds, brown rice, and a salmon burger. This lunch didn't take long at all (thanks in part to Zach getting the rice started for me), and was relatively inexpensive and easy to make.
The salad pictured here is a staple for me- a basic kale salad that can be adapted to incorporate what you have on hand. The original recipe includes cheese, but I rarely use it because this salad tastes so good even without it. 100% of the people who rated this recipe said that they'd make it again- a pretty rare thing to see among the collection of recipes on epicurious. This dish is a winner, and my adapted version is below. Note that it makes a really huge salad- great to have on hand for lunches and also a nice dish for large dinner parties. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you can always 1/2 it if you don't want a lot of leftovers. As a note, I have always used regular balsamic vinegar (not white as recommended in the original recipe) with excellent results.

Basic Kale Salad
2 Tbs dried fruit or about 1/2 cup of diced fresh fruit
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs honey or agave syrup
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 bunches Italian kale, leaves torn from stems and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbs nuts or seeds, lightly toasted and chopped if pieces are large
shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt&pepper

Whisk balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, honey or agave, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl. Add kale, fruit, and nuts; toss to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature for best flavor, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle shredded parmesan on top (if desired) and give it a final stir before serving.