Kale 3 Ways
As some of you may know, my husband and I are on the mostly Paleo eating plan to get our bodies in tip top shape to make a baby. I would say that on a daily average, 75% of our meals consist of fruits and vegetables. (The other 25% is protein.) It may sound like a diet fit for a bird, but as time goes on you don’t even notice it because:
Your taste buds change. A grape now tastes like a sour soother to me.
You get to eat as much as you want. No calorie counting. When you're hungry, you eat for fuel and not for fun.
You learn to get excited about the kinds of food that you can have.
So when we get word that it’s time to harvest all of the amazing fruits and vegetables from my mother-in-law and father-in-law’s colossal garden, we pretty much drop everything and make our way there.
Their acreage is a feast for the eyes for humans and dogs alike.
My mother-in-law always has a huge abundance of Kale. So naturally, we cleaned and packed 5 ziploc bags full of Kale to take home. Kale is recognized by some as one of the world's healthiest foods. It works magic on your body and is absolutely ideal for fertility. I could go on and on about the benefit's but ones that are fit for fertility are:
Among the most nutrient-dense food. This means that in one cup of Kale, there is no other fruit or vegetable on this planet that can supply you with more vitamins and nutrients.
Loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants are not a compound but a behavior. They work to fight off free radicals formed by normal body processes.
Great source of iron and calcium which is important for egg development.
"What are you going to do with 5 bags of Kale?" You might ask?
Here's Kale 3 Ways:
Note: Always remove the ribs of the kale before eating.. They are tough and bitter.
1.) Green Goddess Smoothie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of kale
Half of a banana
Handful of berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries)
1/2 almond milk
1 scoop of protein powder
Fill the remainder of the cup with coconut water
Blend until smooth.
Note: We had a magic bullet in the past and it was not capable of blending the kale. We switched to a Ninja Ultra System and it blends to perfection.
2.) Spicy Sauteed Kale
My husband's personal favorite.
Ingredients:
4 cups of kale
2-3 cloves of garlic
1-2 tbsp of EVOO
Half to one teaspoon of red pepper flakes (depending on your preference)
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Place frying pan on burner over medium to high heat. Pour in EVOO and wait until it warms. Put in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. (For about one minute and careful not to burn the garlic.) Place Kale in frying pan and saute for 5 minutes. (You don't want to saute for too long because you don't want to cook all of the vitamins out.) Turn burner off and spash in the red wine vinegar and salt. Stir and serve.
3.) Italiano Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Salad
4-5 cups of chopped kale
1 cup of mixed chopped tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, roma etc.)
1 cup of chopped cucumber
Handful of chopped basil
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
Dressing
1/3 cup of EVOO
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of dijon mustard
1 tsp of maple syrup
pinch of salt and pepper
Mix dressing and pour over salad. Toss everything together. Allow to sit for a couple hours before eating. Kale actually marinates and absorbs all the flavors of the dressing, kinda like cabbage.
And there you have it. Kale 3 ways. How do you eat your kale? Care to share any recipes in the comments below?