Kale Power (Delicious Nutrient Rich Food)

Kale Power!
By: Miranda Hunt


Psst.  I have a juicy secret.  What if I told you there was an inexpensive and easily accessible food that could naturally shave years off one's mug?  Say hello to kale, one of nature's best kept secrets.  On any random day, one can walk into most food stores and procure an ample bunch of my most favorite cruciferous vegetable for under a dollar.  How groovy and  unheard of is that?  Whilst being tasty and cheap, kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and calcium.  In addition to making the delicious salad below, kale can also be enjoyed many ways.  Here are a few I dig:
Make an easy salad with a bunch of thinly sliced kale, red peppers, sweet onion, currants, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Braise chopped kale and gala apples, garnish with chopped pecans, and add a splash of lemon juice.
Toss rigatoni pasta with chopped kale, pine nuts, blue cheese, and a little extra virgin olive oil.
Cover and cook a pound of chopped kale with a few garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons coconut oil for 5 minutes; season with sea salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Make kale chips by slicing kale into bite-size pieces, toss with a drizzle of light olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven.

Kale Salad with Avocado and Apple

Ingredients:
*1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped
*1 ripe avocado, diced
*sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
*1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
*2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin half moons
*1 apple, sliced thin
*1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced
*1 handful fresh mint or cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Place kale in a large bowl. Add sea salt, garlic, and olive
oil. Mix very well, “massaging” the greens for about 3 minutes.

2. Reserve a small handful of the carrot and apple slices for garnish, then
gently fold the rest into the kale mixture with the scallion, and
herbs. Add avocado.  Taste and season with additional sea salt, if necessary.
Enjoy!