What’s Cookin’?: Super Crunchy Salad [Recipe]

Mary Higginbotham (from the UK Cooperative Extension Office) is back for What's Cookin'? and she is sharing a unique Kentucky Proud recipe for Super Crunchy Salad!  Here's how to make it.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seed kernels)

Cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 pound curly kale, stems removed and thinly sliced

1/2 pound Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 (15-ounce) can Mandarin oranges, drained

4 green onions, thinly sliced

8 strawberries, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 (16-ounce) bottle creamy poppy seed dressing

1 tablespoon orange zest

Juice from 1 orange

Yield:
10, 1 1/2 cup servings

Directions:

Place pepitas in a bowl and coat lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place in a medium skillet over medium­high heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges, green onions, strawberries and toasted pepitas in a large bowl.

Dressing: Whisk together the bottled poppy seed dressing, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl. Pour over salad about 1/2 cup at a time and toss until salad and dressing are combined.