Day 11: Kale
To be honest I haven’t always been a fan of kale…if it isn’t prepared right or just blended in a smoothie, it’s hard for me to get it down. It isn’t until recently that I’ve experienced a few amazing salads that have opened my pallet to this nutrient dense cruciferous green. The key is finely chopped, massaged kale with the stem removed, lightly covered in a tangy, garlic, lemon, dressing and a hint of a sweet dried fruit. This is exactly what I have created here and it’s the kind of salad hardy enough to stand on it’s own. It fills you up and makes your body feel good as if it’s been given the nutrients it craves. In fact, kale is among the most nutrient dense food you can eat. It has essential nutrients hard to get in other foods, for both vegans and non-vegans.
Why to eat Kale:
- Kale is low in calories and high in nutrients; eating more kale will quickly increase the total nutrient content to your food.
- Kale is a great source of hard to get nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, C, K and B6.
- Powerful antioxidants and other nutrients in kale can help with anti-aging and can fight against cancer cells.
- Kale also has protein! Mixed with it’s high fiber content and zero fat content, it can help you lose weight.
- Kale contains Omega- 3 which is anti-inflamitory and great for your brain.
There are tons more good things to say about kale, but this is a good start. Combine this knowledge with some tasty recipes and you are good to go!
Edible, Tangy, Crave-worthy, Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Head of Kale
1 lemon
1-2 Tbls. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Sea salt and pepper
Cranberries (or other dried fruit)
Nut parmesan
Almonds (or any nuts you prefer, pecans, walnuts, cashews…)
Nutritional Yeast
Directions:
- Clean and dry kale.
- Peel (or cut) all the kale leaves from the stem. (You will not be using the stem)
- Chop up remaining leaves as finely as you can and place in a large bowl. Or use your food processor to chop it even finer!
- Mix half of your lemon juice with half your olive oil and a few sprinkles of sea salt and pour over your kale and begin to massage the leaves until they become slightly wilty. (About 2 mins).
- Set aside.
- Mix remaining lemon, garlic, olive oil and seasoning into a cup and stir to make the dressing.
- Pour over Kale and mix thoroughly.
- In a food processor chop up almonds until the the texture is fine, similar to parmesan cheese.
- Plate your salad and top with cranberries, nut parmesan and nutritional yeast.
Enjoy!
See you tomorrow for letter “L.” ♥
