19 January 2012

PERFECT DAY TIP #3: EAT KALE (A NUTRITIOUS + DETOXIFYING SUPER VEG!)

Kale. It is a wonder vegetable. In fact, it changed my life. This puppy is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet, and since I began eating it my health has totally transformed. 

I first came across kale through my dear friend Nicci from Miss Organic. She would deliver a massive bunch of this curly-leafed green to me each week. For a while there, I was not quite sure what to do with it. I thought it was pretty, and that it looked super healthy, but I had no idea how to prepare it or eat it. After getting a few tips, doing a lot of googling, and plenty of trial and error I was able to develop a repertoire of ways to prepare it, and I have since grown to love this little vegetable.

SO WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT KALE?

+ Kale is extremely high in Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin A
+ It is packed with fibre and antioxidants
+ It also contains calcium, iron and B1, B2 and B6
+ Due to the high vitamin K content it has a wonderful anti inflammatory effect on the body
+ The amazing phytonutrients in this pretty plant help to prevent cancer
+ It is full of nutritious minerals and creates has an alkalising effect on your body

HERE IS HOW I EAT KALE!


I JUICE IT...




This is my kale before I juiced it up! This combo has kale, cucumber, lemon and ginger. Just a word of warning with this one - the flavour of kale can be quite intense due to the high chlorophyll content. So, if you are a beginner in the world of juicing kale, I highly recommend you add in an apple or 2 until you get used to the flavour. It has taken me quite a long time of kale juice drinking to work up to having without fruit.


I SAUTE IT...

Rip the leaves off the stem and cut it in to bite size pieces. Saute in a little bit of coconut oil (or olive oil if you prefer) until it has wilted. Then whisk together a couple of eggs and pour over the top. Cook it all together until the eggs are done and then serve on some yummy gluten free bread. 


I CHOP IT...

Rip the leaves off the stem and then cut the leaves up in to bite size pieces. Mix it in with some other lettuce leaves or baby spinach and top with avocado! Then use it as a side accompaniment to any dish you want!


I STIR IT THROUGH...

Kale is delicious when it is mixed in with lots of other yummy + healthy superfoods as well. This dish blends together my 3 favourite things - kale, quinoa and avocado! I simply cooked up the quinoa and while it was still warm I stirred through through the kale and then topped it with avocado and a boiled egg. Delish!


I BLEND IT...





Add kale to a fruit smoothie (minus the milk) and blend it up! You do not have to make yours as green as this. It is fine to just add in a handful of kale leaves with a banana or mango. I also like to add in some superfoods like goji berries, chia seeds, maca powder or coconut!


WANT MORE KALE RECIPE IDEAS?

Here are some recipes from other kale lovers...

+ Over at My New Roots, check out these amazing looking Kale Chips

+ The oh so inspiring Linda Wagner shows you how to eat kale raw with her favourite salad

+ Sarah Wilson has a great range of kale recipes here including a kale and olive gluten free pasta!

+ Gina from Choosing Raw demonstrates how to make a yummy hummus and kale wrap

+ Tom and Ali from Nourishing Meals have an amazing looking harvest green smoothie

So, over to you...

+ Are you a kale lover?
+ What is your favourite way to eat it?

11 comments:

  1. Hey Connie!
    Great tip! Yum I love kale! I just posted a new kale recipe today too :)

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  2. Yum, I do all these things too!

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  3. massive kale fan here! thanks for some new ways to spice it up! x

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  4. today's lunch is raw kale coated with smooshed up leftover roast pumpkin then topped with cucumber, pear and walnuts!

    hope you're well little lady!

    x

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  5. Michelle - Love your recipe. Great minds think alike!

    Vienda - yet another thing we have in common... a love of kale!

    Little House of Limes - Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have found lots of kale inspiration here!

    Saru - Beautiful girl, so nice to hear from you! That little combo sounds absolutely fabulous! Oh yum. I miss hearing about your little food creations

    Thank you for all your wonderful comments ladies xxx

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  6. I love curly kale! We normally eat it around Halloween time and into winter, after that you don't really see it in fruit & veg shops. But after seeing these delicious uses I'm going to keep a closer eye out over the weekend! Thanks Connie - great tips! Jenn x

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  7. Glad to hear you love kale too! It can definitely be both a summer and winter veg, depending how you prepare it. Let me know if you come up with any new recipe creations xx

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  8. I love Kale but how on earth do you cook quinoa? It always goes wrong for me! ;-(

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  9. Natalie, I dont really have a method for cooking quinoa. I simply throw it in a pot, cover it with water and then boil until it become soft, enlarged and slightly transparent. Then I drain it of the excess water and do whatever I please with it - add nuts and berries for breakfast, throw it in a salad for lunch or add in some herbs and seasoning as a side dish with dinner!

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  10. I love kale. One of my favorites to eat it is to boil it for a short amount of time, squeeze the water out, then mix it with olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, feta and olives.

    Another powerhouse green often overlooked is swiss chard. It's the valedictorian of vegetables. Hahaha.

    CC

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  11. TO cook quinoa: ration 2:1 water:quinoa so let's say 2 cups of water to one cup dried quinoa.

    Rinse it first, two or three times. Place it in a pot with the water. Turn on the heat as soon as it boil, turn to a simmer and cover. Takes about 15 minutes to cook. All the water should absorb but it isn't burning on the bottom.

    Another tasty thing to do is to replace the water with orange juice. It gives it a slight orange taste.

    The first time I cooked quinoa I treated it like any other grain, cooking for 45 minutes. Huge disaster. Don't do this. Hahaha.

    Hope this helps.

    CC

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