Post-pizza night: Warm kale salad

The craving for something leafy and green admittedly came the morning after pizza night. Yes, I just directed the word "craving" at vegetables in that last statement.

This was my first attempt at a kale dish, so I decided to cook the leaves slightly to kill any bitterness. It was a fast, easy lunch -- thrown together with items I already had in the fridge or pantry.

Here are the ingredients, portioned for a single-serving meal that was pretty generous by my standards. I think it can also split well between 2 people, as a side dish:

• 4 leaves of kale, ribs removed, chiffonade
• 1/4 cups pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup chickpeas
• 1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Parmesan cheese, grated or powdered 
• Salt & pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. I kept the temperature close to medium.
2. Add pine nuts. Toast for a couple minutes.
3. Peel and dice garlic, add to oil.
4. Cut out the kale ribs with a knife, and chop leaves into ribbons. Add leaves to the pan and toss in the oil mixture. Let cook for a couple minutes, until slightly wilted.
5. Add chickpeas & chopped artichoke hearts. Let those warm in the salad.
6. Give a good squeeze of lemon over the salad. Shower with Parmesan. Salt and add pepper, to taste.
7. Toss the salad and plate it up! Sprinkle your goat cheese crumbles over the top.

Bright colors, bright flavors, and a little indulgence with that creamy goat cheese. Nom.