This month’s Recipe ReDux theme is “Back to the Dinner Table.” After the hustle and bustle of the holiday/vacation season, August is the time many families get ‘back to routine.’ Show us your favorite recipe to help families get ‘back to the dinner table.’ 

When I was growing up, my family would frequently eat rotisserie chicken from the grocery store with a salad mainly composed of romaine lettuce and chopped vegetables. It was something easy and healthy that my mom could pick up and prepare for dinner on a busy weekday.

Over the years I learned that roasting a whole chicken at home is actually quite simple and I now have a back pocket roast chicken recipe for whenever I have guests over at my own “family table.” In the winter I nestle potatoes under and around the chicken, but at the end of the summer I use the bounty of plump tomatoes. And always add some whole garlic cloves!

I recently made a Kale Cashew Caesar to go with my back pocket chicken and some boiled corn–a great meal for getting back to the dinner table. The dressing is a mostly vegan (I used Worcestershire sauce and real Parmesan) take on a Caesar. Cashews blend up into a super creamy sauce that holds well on a bunch of hearty kale.

Easy enough for a casual weeknight meal and impressive enough for hosting company. Leftover salad holds up well the next day, too.

Kale Cashew Caesar

adapted from Oh She Glows

Serves 4-6

*To keep the recipe totally vegan, use a vegan Worcestershire sauce and omit the Parmesan.*

The dressing:

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons capers or green olives

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste

Salad and assembly:

1 large bunch lacinato or dinosaur kale

1/4-1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (I use my microplane)

To make the dressing: Soak the cashews in water the night before. The next day, strain the cashews and add them to a blender or food processor with the remaining dressing ingredients.

For the salad: Take the kale leaves off the stem and tear them into large pieces. Wash the kale in a bowl and spin it dry. Toss the kale with the dressing and top with the finely grated Parmesan.

Tags: cashews, dinner, kale, kale caesar, kale salad, recipe redux, salad, savory, summer, The Recipe ReDux