Cos and kale salad

Preparation

I serve this salad with oven-baked tofu which can be prepared a few days ahead of time however you can leave out the tofu and just enjoy the tasty crisp leaf salad combination of cos and kale with the fresh lemon & olive oil dressing.

The Cos and Kale salad: Separate the kale leaves from the stem and discard the thick stem. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Separate the baby cos leaves and also cut or tear them to size. Wash and spin dry them in your salad spinner. Place the leaves in a large mixing bowl.

The dressing: In a jar mix the oil lemon juice and chilli flakes. Shake it well. It is important to get a good even coverage of the dressing on all the leaves. So use your hands to toss and combine the dressing.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with your favourite risotto and a glass of beer! 

Optional: Serve topped with oven-baked tofu as inspired by Jamie Green Green Kitchen

Tips from the author

To make the oven-baked tofu: 

250g firm tofu. Marinade: 3 tablespoons each of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil. I teaspoon of honey and 1 clove of crushed garlic

Whisk together the marinade and add it to the well-drained tofu that is cut in 2 cm cubes. Marinade for at least 30 minutes or even overnight. Pre-heat the oven to 180^C. Place some baking paper on a tray and gently lay out the tofu cubes. Bake for about 20 minutes then turn each cube over and back for a further 20 minutes until it is golden brown. Set aside to cool or store overnight.