No way! I was compelled to make a HUGE kale salad last evening . . . because it is therapeutic?! Well, not so sure, but it does get my mind in a better place and posting it to Facebook elicits a barrage of comments which REALLY takes my mind off so much!
When I opened my eyes this morning and gathered my wits, I simply knew the scale was going to be good to me today . . . and it was, one pound and one-half in two days! So many say to not weigh on a daily basis, but for me, it is extremely telling. When I am faithful, it drops. When I am not, it does not - simple as that.
I went for years not weighing myself as the pounds kept escalating, until one day I was forced to step on the scales and nearly fell off when I read it! For sure, I wasn't pregnant and the girls were no longer babies, so what was my excuse? Truthfully, food was the ONLY aspect of my life that my ex could not control, so I used that against him . . . when it was truly against myself. It has taken me 10 years to finally get all of this straight, to fully understand my self-defeating ways, take control and start loving myself up! Not caring for myself, surely did not set a very good example for my daughters, so now is my time to revise and revamp the entire scenario. Preparing salads like this is a great first step!
Kale is KING, there is none better, but I must tell you the first
time I ate kale which happened to be in 2006 for my very first meal at
Living Light, I eyed it warily, because I had never eaten
kale in my life - I only decorated with it! Honestly, back then I would
look at that stuff in the produce department and wonder who ate it and if they did, whatever would they do with it! At Living Light, I found out . . . and fell in love with it!
It
was a salad much like this one, although I have tweaked it quite a bit,
added my favorite anti-inflammatory, turmeric, to the dressing and
kicked it up a notch or two in flavor. I take it to my friend, Lena, who
told me the last time that she loves the dressing so much, she has to
tip the carton up and drain every last drop into her mouth! Yes, the flavors
in the dressings are . . . well, how else to describe it, KICK
ASS!! It is simple to prepare, keeps for days in the fridge, although
if you are planning to keep it for longer than two days, I would suggest
adding the tomatoes and cukes just prior to serving, so they don't get
mushy. Everything else will be good for many days.
Kick Ass Kale Salad
Step-by-Step
 |
| Stripping the stem from the leaf - hold the tip of the stem with one hand, wrap the fingers of your other hand around the stem and give it a fast downward pull |
 |
| Spineless Kale, but this stuff is NOT wimpy, it is a nutritional POWERHOUSE!! |
 |
| Stack ALL the leaves in a nice, neat pile, aiming them all in the same direction |
 |
DO NOT throw out the stems! Save them for green smoothies. A stem or two in your morning smoothie is all you will need for green. Store in ziplock bags in the freezer to use as needed. |
 |
then roll them up into a tight cylinder |
 |
I was taught to roll up ONE at a time, can you imagine how time-consuming that would be?!
Hang on tightly to the roll....
|
 |
then start shaving! |
 | ||
All shaved . . . oops, we do not shave, we chiffonade!
Beautiful, huh? I bought this yesterday at Market for $2. It will last me most of the week...keeps GREAT!
|
 |
Make the scrumptious OJ dressing, pour over the kale, massage for a minute or so....add everything else and your salad is complete. Garnish with pine nuts or any other kind of nut, if you want and you're finished - Kick Ass Kale Salad! Kick Ass Kale Salad aka (Mediterranean Kale Salad - Anti-Cancer at its BEST!) Salad 1 bunch Lacinato (dinosaur) kale, stems removed 1 red pepper, finely diced (or quickly shaved on a Japanese mandoline, for me, a kitchen staple) 1/4 red onion, finely diced (or shaved, as above) ½ c pine nuts or sunflower seeds ½ c yellow raisins, soaked and drained ½ c grape tomatoes, quartered ½ bag broccoli slaw ½ c cucumber, diced Marinade 4 T fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 3 T maple syrup 4 T fresh-squeezed orange juice ¼ t sea salt 1 t turmeric 1/2 t cumin 1/8 t cayenne ¼ t black pepper 1 clove garlic, pureed 2 T miso 2 T olive oil 2 T flax oil Directions: Wash and dry kale, After stripping the stems, pile all leaves on top of one another, all aiming the same direction. Gather up the bottom shredded part of the leaf carefully and roll all leaves into a tight cylinder. Using a down and through motion, slicing crosswise, slice the kale into thin ribbons (chiffonade). When all are sliced, chop the opposite direction to slice the ribbons into shorter pieces. Place in bowl. Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust flavors. Pour the marinade over the kale and with your hands, massage the marinade into the kale….about a minute or so, until the kale is wilted and soft. (Massaging is the secret to success!) Gently toss with red peppers, broccoli slaw, tomatoes and raisins. Top with pine nuts and cucumbers before serving. Keeps for several days in the frig in a sealed container. The flavor is even better the second day! Santé, To Your Health! Sue Ansari RN Raw Food Chef and Food for Life Instructor www.cancer-proofyourlife.com www.santetoyourhealth.org http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html |
No comments:
Post a Comment