Super Food Salad

I am a copy cat. A self proclaimed, copy cat. And I hate cats, so that is saying a lot. But I copied Whole Foods and made their Super food Salad. Turns out, it was a huge success. This salad gave me tons of energy/ I was full and satisfied for hours afterward. I added grilled lemon chicken to mine for some protein. It is completely clean, low fat/calories/carbs, and high in many essential vitamins and minerals.

*Fun Fact! Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse! One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of your daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. 

Whole Foods Super Food Salad

-Serves 4 (I kept mine in the fridge for 2 days and it saved really well)

Salad

1 bunch kale

1/2 cup uncooked quiona

one carton blueberries

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup goji berries

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds 

Dressing

3 Table spoons Evoo

2 Table spoons Apple cider vinegar

1 Table spoon Agave (or sweetener of your choice)

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring one cup of water and 1/2 cup quiona to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and cover until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool. 

Cut Kale leave into very small pieces, like you would do for shredded lettuce. 

Chop red onion into chunks. Add blue berries, goji berries, dried cranberries and quinoa. 

Toss mixture with the entire contents of the dressing. Add sunflower seeds only right before eating the salad, otherwise they will get soggy. 

I actually preferred the salad the second day because the kale had soaked up some of the dressing making the leaves more tender. I also added grilled chicken to my salad which incorporated protein and made it into more of a meal - or you can leave the meat off to make it the perfect side dish to any summer meal. 

After this successful recipe remake, I might try to copy some of my other Whole Foods favorites. I am thinking curry next time…

Happy Thursday! 

-Er

Get Creative with Kale

I’m currently on this health kick over cruciferous vegetables and kale happens to be at the top of the list. It is so beneficial to your health and versatile for cooking. Here are some health benefits: 

1) Lowers cholesterol 

2) Fights against bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate cancer

3) Great detox food

4) Stress reducer 

5) High in nutrient content

I’d like to propose a challenge. “Go Kale Krazy.” Try and have Kale for every meal one day. If you’re feeling up for it, try to have something Kale once a day for a week. We should really be including vegetables from the cruciferous family 4-5 times per week with 2 cups as our serving size. Cruciferous veggies have it all, fiber, vitamins, and disease fighting phytochemicals. They are the super veggie! 

Some people are afraid of Kale so I’ve included a few favorite recipes to get you started on your Kale challenge that will keep you coming back for more or perhaps challenge you to try other cruciferous veggies. 

Kale Breakfast Smoothie: Great way to jumpstart your morning routine! 

Ingredients: 

• 2-4 kale leaves
• 3/4 cup water (this changes depending on how thick you like your smoothies
• Frozen strawberries
• Frozen blueberries
• 1/2-1 scoop organic protein powder (Optional)
• 1-2 tsp. chia seeds or ground flaxseeds
• 1 Tbsp. unrefined organic coconut oil

Method: 

Blend all ingredients. 

Baked Kale Chips: This is an awesome snack option. Especially for the potato chip inclined friends!  

Ingredients:

• Kale 
• Olive Oil
• Salt 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Tear kale into bite-sized pieces, avoiding the tough inner stalk. 

Rinse well in water and dry as best you can either in a spinner or on a tea towel.

Pour a few glugs of olive oil on a baking sheet and add the kale. Sprinkle with salt and toss gently to evenly distribute the oil and salt.

 Place in oven and bake about 10-15 minutes, or until the kale is crisp. 

Deconstructed Hummus Salad: Enjoy for lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch kale
• 2 cups chickpeas
• 2 whole wheat pitas 

For the Dressing: 

• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

Method: 

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in the blender, puree until smooth and check for seasoning. You may need to adjust the amount of lemon juice or salt to pop the flavors. 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush the pitas with olive oil and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until they are slightly browned and crispy. When cool, lightly break the pitas into bite sized pieces. 

Remove the inner ribs of the kale, tear into 1-in. pieces and place in a large bowl. Add 1/4 c. of the dressing to the salad then knead the salad with your fingers to really incorporate the dressing into the kale, it helps break down the leaves to make them tender. Add the chickpeas and pitas to the salad and toss to incorporate.