Healthy Raw Kale Salad

I've been doing this thing lately where I make a big batch of this healthy kale salad and keep it in the fridge for lunches and to have on hand as a quick side to weekday dinners. And it turns out my boyfriend really likes it. So, it's a win-win in our house.


It's a healthy combination of raw kale, carrots and red cabbage and keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. The salad tastes great with grilled salmon or tuna and corn on the cob. It's one of those salads that makes you feel good about yourself after just a few mouthfuls because it's so good and healthy - and makes you want to congratulate yourself for making such a healthy choice. And you should.

I've also been going to the gym a little more regularly and trying to get in some kind of exercise on days that I don't. Like walking or cycling somewhere I might otherwise drive to. What this all adds up to is a slightly healthier lifestyle that I feel good about. One of things I've been thinking about but haven't done yet is buying a pedometer to see how much I walk on an average day. I think it would be a good exercise to do a check in with myself. Should I be walking more?


In the meantime, here's the recipe.


Healthy Raw Kale Salad
Adapted from Planet Organic's Hail-to-the-Kale recipe

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, chopped somewhat finely
2 carrots, grated
1/4 of a red cabbage, thinly sliced with a mandolin if you have one
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or natural soy sauce (found in health food stores)
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
dash oregano

Directions
Wash kale and chop finely.

In a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat, stir sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Remove from heat when they’re toasted golden brown. While the skillet is hot, add in a few drops of soy sauce, which will sear onto the seeds. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl combine chopped kale, carrots, cabbage and seeds. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos, balsamic vinegar and oregano and pour over kale mixture. Toss until evenly coated and chill 2 hours before serving.

You might also like:

Sesame Kale Salad
Steamed kale with lots of toasted sesame seed flavour. So good, you'll eat a whole bunch (of kale).

Kale Chips
Thin bites of crispy baked kale.

Bulgar Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives
A great side dish to make for dinner or enjoy it on its own for lunch. Tastes good served warm or cold.

Please welcome to the stage: Sesame Kale Salad

We all know "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but I'm pretty sure a serving of kale could as well. I've been eating a lot of kale lately, mostly because it's good for me but also because it's simple to prepare. Lightly steamed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper or this recipe for sesame kale salad. Sounds like a a lot but not when you have a good recipe.


Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning the leafy green contains cancer-fighting antioxidants. It also contains calcium and fibre and a healthy dose of vitamins A, C and iron. It's a powerhouse of feel-goodness. And, I'm convinced it's good for my hair as well.

Regular green, Lacinato or purple kale, they've all been a long time favorite of mine. It tastes sweet and earthy and is a nice change to spinach. Strip the leaves, wash well under cold water and then saute or steam. You can add to soups, stews or winter salads. Or you can keep it simple like with this recipe for sesame kale salad. Make a big batch and store in the fridge. It's great as a side dish or an after work snack.

Kale is in season from September to February and is at its nutritional best during the coldest months of the year. Not many of us can say we're at our best during the cold winter months. So, now is the time to welcome kale into your diet and onto your plate.


Sesame Kale Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale, washed and stripped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions
Separate kale leaves from stems, wash and chop. Steam in a little water until tender and bright green.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the kale to the dressing and stir to combine. Top with the toasted sesame seeds. Good served warm or chilled.

OTHER RECIPES WITH KALE-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bulgar Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives

Pearl Barley and Bean Stew

Kale Chips

Italian Turkey Stew with Fennel and White Beans

I've just returned from a few days in Vancouver, visiting my uber-pregnant sister who's now four days overdue. Since coming home, I keep thinking to myself "I wonder if she's having contractions now" about every hour. And it's only a matter of time before I'm right. One of these hours she will be having contractions.

While I was visiting, I stayed one night with my lovely friend Anya and she made us one of her own recipes for dinner. A stew of fennel, canned tomatoes, white beans and fennel sausage. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect dinner on a cool, rainy evening in Vancouver. Needless to say, immediately after getting back I picked up the ingredients I needed to make it for Jeremy and myself.


I call this an Italian stew because it's rustic and simple and uses good quality ingredients. But there's also another reason why I'm calling this an Italian stew. While I was at the grocery store I realized I've become just a little obsessed since my trip to Italy last fall. While standing in the check out wearing my favorite over sized Italian scarf that I bought in Verona, I looked down and noticed a distinctive theme to my groceries. Italian sausages, Italissima canned tomatoes, La Molisana canned white beans and Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serious, it seems a little over the top even to me but I just can't help myself. Italian food really is one of the best in the world.

Try making this stew like an Italian would, adding ingredients without measuring each one out and tasting as you go to adjust the flavours. Add more garlic, chili peppers, salt and pepper until it's just right.


Italian Turkey Stew with Fennel and White Beans (serves 4)

Ingredients
olive oil
1-2 onions, sliced
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 turkey sausages, remove meat from casing
2 bay leaves
2 cans (28 oz) of tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons red chili flakes
1 can (398 ml) white beans
half bunch of kale or spinach, washed and chopped
Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
dash of balsamic vinegar

Directions
In a large pot over a medium heat, saute onions for 10-15 minutes until golden. Add fennel, garlic and the meat of the three sausages. Using a large spoon, break the sausage meat apart and stir being careful not to burn the garlic. Once the meat has browned, add the tomatoes, bay leaves, beans, chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Bring the stew to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes. The key is to continue simmering until the fennel is soft. Also, taste the stew along the way and adjust flavours to your liking. Once the fennel is tender, add chopped kale (or spinach), parsley and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Simmer for a few more minutes until the greens have wilted. Serve and enjoy.

Trendy For A Reason: Kale Chips

I can't believe I resisted making kale chips for so long.

Have you tried them yet? Thin bites of crispy baked kale. They're hitting the mainstream with a flutter of online chatter- people are talking about them, blogging about them and loving them. And while kale chips may not instantly jump out at you, I urge you to give these a try. They're surprising easy to make, fun to eat and tasty to snack on. They taste a lot like potato chips but are healthier, more nutritious, lower in calories and like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one.


Here's the basic recipe. You can also try seasoning these chips just as you might do with popcorn. Try adding Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, soy sauce, smoked paprika, cayenne or nutritional yeast. Let me know what you think.



Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a dash of salt and pepper (be careful not to add too much salt, a little goes a long way with these)

Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking tray or two depending on their size with parchment paper.

Wash the kale. Using a knife, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and cut into bite size pieces. Then, thoroughly dry kale using a salad spinner or by placing the leaves or a tea towel and dabbing dry.

Place the kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix around the leaves to make sure each one has a little coating of olive oil and seasoning. Spread onto the baking tray in a single layer.

Place the cookie sheets on the middle or high rank in the oven. Being careful not to burn, bake until the edges brown, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bulgur Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives

We don't have a Whole Foods Market in Victoria but I still love the store. I have one of their green bags that I use at our local grocery stores. It makes me feel like I could be grocery shopping in Vancouver or Portland or just somewhere else.

The other thing I like about Whole Foods is the recipe section of its' website. It has tons of great tasing and healthy recipes. The website is nicely layed out and is easy to browse. I recently made the Bulgur Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives and was deliciously pleasing results.




It's one of the top rated recipes and for good reasons. It's a great side dish to make for dinner or you can enjoy it on its own for lunch. It's a good potluck dish since it can feed a crowd and tastes good served warm or cold. Also, it will make a terrific picnic addition once we get a little closer to summer.


Bulgur Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives (serves 4 to 6)
Choose your favorite salami for this dish, if you're looking for recommendations, mine is hungarian.

Ingredients
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups medium-grind bulgur wheat
6 cups (about 1/4 pound) roughly chopped kale
1/4 pound thinly sliced salami, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped pitted olives
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste



Directions
Bring broth to a boil in a large pot. Stir in bulgur then cover and simmer until just tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, scatter kale over the top, cover and cook until wilted and tender, 4 to 5 minutes more. Set aside off of the heat, covered, for 5 minutes then uncover and fluff with a fork.

Transfer bulghur and kale to a large bowl, add salami, parsley, olives, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.