Summer Solstice Shredded Brussel Sprouts, Kale, and Poached Egg Salad

Summer Solstice is upon us, and boy is she coming in with a BANG! Let me unpack what is about to happen this weekend: June 20th at 4:44pm Central Time marks the official beginning of SUMMER here in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and has been celebrated for millennia with rituals, gatherings, dancing, prayer... you name it, it has been done in the name of Summer Solstice! On June 21st (also Father's Day!) we will have our annual new moon Solar Eclipse which is taking place at zero degrees in Cancer. Astrologically speaking, this highlights our emotional bodies and is incredibly transformative and supportive of all things revolving around the home and family, emotional cleansing, self-care, self-expression, spirituality, taking responsibility, and freedom (just to touch on a few emerging themes). What I love about new moons is the opportunity to start fresh and set new and empowering intentions for ourselves. Adding our Solar Eclipse on top of that new moon amplifies this energy and, when harnessed consciously, is a recipe for some pretty remarkable breakthroughs. 

I am personally using this time to really look inwards and feel through any places where I might be holding on too tightly to my past. As I mentioned, freedom is a theme this eclipse season, and when riding this vibe, I'm inspired to liberate myself from certain conscious attachments to my past experiences, past relationships, and past versions of myself. I'm making some space for the new to sweep in! 

Cancer represents many things, and one of those is the shedding of skins. So, in the name of this magic-packed weekend, I have a little cord-cutting ceremony planned, a socially distant picnic in Central Park to celebrate the Solstice, and a family BBQ for Dad on Sunday. Whenever an Equinox rolls in, music and dancing is a must, so there will be plenty of that as well! 

Using the energies present during this time is a very personal thing, so I invite you to tap into your emotional center and get playful in investigating how you want and need to let this transit expand you. However you happen to be spending this weekend, make it extra nurturing and special, whatever that looks like for you!

For our little Summer Solstice Central Park picnic, I'll be preparing one of my very favorite salads, and in hopes of yumm-ing up your weekend a bit, I want to share the recipe with you! Like summertime, it is easy, breezy, and simply delicious. 

You will need: 

• Brussel sprouts

• Kale

• Eggs (Optional for vegans)

• Dijon mustard

• Lemon juice

• Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• Slivered almonds (or whatever crunchy topping you prefer) 

• Parmesan flakes (Optional for vegans) 

The proportions on this can vary to your personal liking, so I'm going to refer to measurements broadly. 

Grab your cutting board and sharpest knife. Pour a couple of cups of brussel sprouts onto your board and very thinly slice them up. Take a few large handfuls of fresh kale and chop into strips (I like my kale to be thinly cut, but whatever you prefer). Remove all of the stems. 

Put your brussel sprouts and kale into a mixing bowl. 

In a small bowl, mix together a couple of TBSP of Dijon with the juice of two (2) or so freshly squeezed lemons (remove seeds). Whisk a few tablespoons of olive oil into your lemon mixture. Add salt and & pepper, whisk again, and then pour the mixture into your bowl with the brussel sprouts and kale. 

Get in there with those very clean hands of yours and massage the dressing into the salad. We do this because it allows the flavors of the dressing to really penetrate the salad mixture while simultaneously softening our greens. 

 Next, you can either poach or fry 2-3 eggs. Once they are done, if you are serving immediately, you can serve up individual bowls of the salad and place an egg on top of each, or you can add the eggs to a larger serving bowl, cut up the egg with a fork and knife, and evenly mix into the brussel sprouts and kale. 

Taste, add more salt & pepper if needed, add some slivered almonds and parmesan flakes on top and, voila! There you have it!  

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do! Wishing you all of the magical vibes as this new season comes dancing in.