All Hail Kale! 3 Yummy Recipes

Just like the rose is the queen of flowers, kale is my king of veggies! This dark green powerhouse leaf is packed full of iron, calcium, vitamin K and Carotenoids. It also gives you a nice dose of chlorophyll which aids blood in carrying oxygen to our cells and tissues (great to take when traveling). There are endless ways to prepare kale but I’ve provided you with three very different ways to get you started—a raw salad, a warming garlic saute and crispy kale chips.

Happy healthy eating!

Raw Kale Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Currants:

*1 bunch Lacinato/Dino (pictured, above right) or Curly Kale, coarsely chopped with spine discarded

*1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

*1/4 cup currants or dried cranberries

*good drizzle of sesame oil and balsamic vinegar

*fresh sea salt to taste

This is so easy and packed full of all the natural occurring nutrients because it is in its raw form! Discard the spine of the kale and roughly chop the remaining leaves. Toss in large bowl with enough sesame oil and balsamic to massage all the leaves in a light coating. Set aside and let sit for a few hours.

Warm a frying pan on medium heat. Place pine nuts in the frying pan paying careful attention to prevent burning. Toast the nuts until they turn a nice golden brown or become fragrant. Stir occasionally with wooden spoon to prevent burning.

Once your kale has sat in the oil and vinegar enough to relax, add pine nuts, currants and fresh salt. It’s as simple as that! Don’t forget to chew your food! This will aid in the digestion process making it much easier to ‘stomach’.

Garlic Sauteed Kale:

*1 bunch Lacinato/Dino or Curly Kale (pictured, right), chopped into 1 inch pieces and halved

*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

*2-3 cloves garlic, minced

*fresh sea salt

This is possibly my favorite way to get my greens. It is warming, nutritious and a piece of cake (well, actually a vegetable, but whatever).

Warm your olive oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute or until a light golden brown. Add kale and move around until completely coated in oil (add more here if needed). After 2 minutes add 1 T of water and cover for 5 minutes or until bright emerald green. Remove from heat and dress with fresh sea salt. Serve.

Kale Crisps:

*1 bunch Dino or Curly Kale, chopped into 2 inches pieces

*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

*1 spray bottle of Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids

Hard core raw-foodies tend to own a dehydrator to make delicious raw chips out of veggies. Problem is they’re a bit pricey and rather bulky. You can use your oven on the lowest setting to achieve the same desired effect...you’ll just need about 10 hours :)