Crunchy Kale Tahini Pita

As the sun starts to rise earlier, I love the feeling of waking up with the sun and taking advantage of the morning to do some laundry and hit the gym before heading to the library to get some work done. I also love heading out on Friday evenings and spending the night dancing my face off. Unfortunately, these two interests never mix well for me. By the time I dragged myself out of bed and to the gym at noon on Saturday, I was craving something to make myself feel refreshed and healthy again. I was also craving bread. This simple mixture of crunchy deep green kale, smooth tahini and sweet, tangy orange juice in a pita with a glass of cold milk really hit the spot. The kick of protein from the chickpeas also made it a good post-workout meal.

I'm embarrassed to post this in such poor quality. Unfortunately I don't own a camera, so supbar phone photos will have to do.

This lunch was inspired by Kathy's blog, especially this recipe. She is indubitably the master of kale, and her other recipes are also well worth checking out.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale
• 2 tbsp tahini
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• handful of chickpeas
• thin pita

1. Wash the kale thoroughly, remove stems and slice into ribbons.

2. Mix tahini, orange juice, cider vinegar, and chili flakes.

3. Combine dressing and kale in a bowl. Leaving them combined for longer will soften the kale a bit, but if you are hungry and impatient there is no need to wait.

4. Fill pita with dressed kale and a handful of chickpeas.

This easy lunch can of course be infinitely modified - red onion would be nice combined with the kale, or maybe some seeds, sliced apple, or oranges. If I had an avocado lying around, I would definitely toss some slices in. What about falafel instead of chickpeas? The options are endless!