A Powerful Kale Salad that Eats Like a Meal

Good morning! Have you been wondering where I've been?! I've missed you lots and it's because I've been in 'CrazyTown' since Friday. Think Christmas shopping, forcing a crazy dog to rest her sore leg, working, watching Christmas movies I've never heard of that seem to be playing every single night, training new employees, more shopping, doing piles and piles of dishes (seriously where do all the dirty dishes come from?!), trying to squeeze in after-work workouts, planning our annual Christmas party.....

Whew! I'm stressed and exhausted just typing all of that; luckily most of it's fun stuff --- I just seem to have overloaded myself all at once!

One thing that is seriously lacking in that busy list above is meal planning and eating. I have had zero energy and desire for recipe creation, so I've been relying on some old faves to fuel us during the crazy that is our life presently. One new fave that you absolutely must try: the Fitnessista's Cranberry Quinoa Stuffing. Oh. My. Goodness. SOOOOOO GOOOOODDDDDD! I've made it twice now and it makes big batches that I'm able to use in a few different meals.

Not only has it been tricky to keep on track with my clean eating goal at home, but the holiday sweets have started circulating around the office this week too. Not being the type of person to turn down a shortbread cookie stuffed with chunks of Skor Bar, I'm having to offset my indulgences with some veggie-packed healthy meals like this amazing kale salad I've been eating for lunch day after day after day.

This salad creation just kinda happened. I had a ginormous amount of kale to use up and I needed something healthy to pack for lunch, so I just started throwing in whatever I could find that I thought would work together. After making the salad  4 days in a row, I decided that was definitely one of those "must share" recipes. The best thing about this salad, besides the amazing flavour and the fact that it is packed full of all things healthy, is that it eats like a meal. It is so filling and doesn't need any companions to satisfy your belly! Everyday that I brought it to work for lunch, I also included some fruit or a soup and I never had room for them once my salad was inhaled enjoyed.

Power Packed Kale Salad for One
Serves 1

3 c kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c chickpeas
1 c chopped veggies
1/4 avocado, chopped
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pepitas (or your fave seeds/nuts)
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste

To make your dressing, add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.

Place the torn kale into a separate bowl and add the dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale. Top with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

*Note: I make the salad up in the morning and then take it with me to work for lunch. It is best to let the kale marinate in the salad dressing for at least a few hours before eating.*

So Freakin' Delicious!!!!!

Do you brown bag it to work/school or buy something when it's time to eat?

Enjoy your Thursday,

Andrea
xoxo

Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Soup + Winner!!!

Hi! Welcome to the start of a new week! Did you have a good weekend?

We had to attend a funeral on Saturday. A friend lost his long-fought battle with cancer, so it was a sad day saying goodbye and supporting our friends.

I went to a Total Body Conditioning class at the gym yesterday morning and then I was pretty much down for the count for the rest of the day. We just needed some quiet time.

Luckily, I did manage to find time to put together my soup recipe that everyone's been asking for since I posted about it last Wednesday. Sometimes I forget how therapeutic blogging can be ---- it makes me so happy to be able to share my recipes and love for food with you all <3

This is a creamy comforting soup for the soul. I had it at a restaurant one day for lunch and I knew instantly that I needed to recreate it. I had some serious success with this one if I do say so myself.

Roasted Sweet Potato w/ Kale Soup

Serves 3

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

2 tsp coconut oil, melted

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 - 3/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

3 c vegetable broth

2 c coconut milk

3 c chopped kale (do not use stems)

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

In a large bowl, combine the diced sweet potatoes, coconut oil, sea salt,  chili powder and cumin. Spread the seasoned potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast the potatoes (now here is where I encounter a tiny problem as I forgot to write down the roasting time ~ woops!). I believe it will take 25 - 35 minutes to roast. You want the potatoes to be cooked through and starting to brown - see my pic below for reference. Make sure you flip the potatoes after approximately 15 minutes of roasting.

Once the potatoes are roasted, add them together with the vegetable broth into your blender. Of course, you can make the soup as creamy or as chunky as you like. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a large saucepan and start to heat it over medium-high heat. Whisk in the coconut milk and the kale.

Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust your seasonings to your taste. I added a pinch of sea salt, chili powder and a pinch of black pepper to my bowl.

This is what the taters should look like when they're roasted to perfection.

I just recently found this coconut milk at our local Bulk Store.

60 calories in a cup.

LOVE <3

Top with a pinch of unsweetened shredded coconut and serve while piping hot!

I have one word.

YUM :)


....and now for what you've been waiting for all week...

the winner of my Pure Bar Giveaway is.....

MEREDITH FROM DARE YOU TO!!!

Meredith said....

Ooh definitely Apple Cinnamon and Chocolate Brownie. I LOVE the photo you took--shows how REAL FOODS are the ingredients, just like the website shows.

Yahoo my sweet!!! I will send you an email later today to get your mailing details.

Now have a fabulous day everyone.

Let's start this week on the right foot!

Andrea

Kale: The Overlooked Superfood

If you are a lover of food or healthy living blogs, I'm sure you've seen kale mentioned a time or two.

Kale is one of those superfoods that doesn't get enough credit where credit is due. I'm sure I saw kale in the grocery store, but I never gave it a second glance and didn't really acknowledge its existence until a year or so ago. It was right around the time when I'd come to the realization that my eating habits needed to change if I wanted to lose weight, get fit and live a healthier life. That was also the time that I discovered the wonder that is green smoothies. The first time I tried kale was in a green smoothie and I have one word for how it turned out "BLECH!" I hated it! Kale left my smoothie thick and chunky and I was barely able to slurp it down.

After that experience, kale was gone from my diet once again. However, this summer I kept seeing recipes for kale. Kale chips and marinated salads really caught my eye, so I decided to give it a second chance. I am so glad I did because I can now call kale a veggie that I love. Not only have I found some tasty recipes that I use over and over again, but kale is also full of nutritional goodness that I just can't deny my bod. First of all, kale is very high in antioxidants and what gal doesn't love that?!

2 cups of kale contains 260% of the daily requirement for vitamin A, 170% of vitamin C, 10% of calcium, 8% iron , 3 grams of protein , over 1000% vitamin K,  and 40%  manganese , 40% of vitamin B6 among other. As a green leafy vegetable it is a prime cancer fighting food, rich in anti-oxidants and detoxifying enzymes, carotenoids  and high in fiber . The  sulfurous phytochemicals stimulate the body to make cancer fighting enzymes. One cup contains more than 5 grams of fiber.The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in kale help prevent eye degeneration and help protect against cataracts .It is also high in calcium. [source]

Now that is some kick butt, awesome stats!!!!

So naturally, when my friend Judy gave me a recipe for marinated kale, I was all over it! I headed straight to the grocery store to pick up a bunch of kale so I could try it out. SCORE! I loved it! It's definitely another easy and awesome recipe that I'll be adding to my vault. :-)

Marinated Kale
Recipe slightly adapted from Maximized Living

This recipe is a great way to enjoy raw kale. If you love the taste of hummus, you'll probably love this recipe because the dressing has many similarities.

1 small bunch kale
1.5 tbsp tahini
1.5 tbsp water
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cut your kale into bite-sized pieces. I do not use the kale stems because they tend to be bitter.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour onto the kale and mix well. Don't be afraid to get your hands in there and massage the dressing in really well. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

This marinated kale makes a great snack or side dish to a healthy dinner.

I have two other kale recipes that I love. Check 'em out:

Baked Kale Chips
Weekend Glow Kale Salad (by Angela)

Have you ever tried kale before? What's your fave way to eat it?

Enjoy your day!

Andrea

Baked Kale Chips

Happy Sunday! It's looking like an absolutely gorgeous day in Southwestern Ontario and I'm so happy that I have absolutely no commitents today. For now, it's just Dora & I chillin' at home and then Derek should be back for a barbecue later this afternoon.

Isn't she a"DORA"able? She's already getting in the spirit of Canada Day!!

The only problem I have with days like today is that I want to graze and munch constantly. I typically don't keep chips and sweets in the house, but my darling hubby has a very bad habit of bringing unhealthy snacks into the homestead and then he leaves them there, untouched, to taunt and tease me all day long.

Instead of sitting and obsessing all day about the chips in the pantry that are calling my name, I have been trying to load my house full of healthy and satisfying snacks.

Remember that kale I was talking about last week? Well, I had great intentions to make a salad with it, but that just never happened, so of course my next choice was to whip up a batch of kale chips. Have you ever had kale chips before? Have you ever had kale before for that matter!? 

Dark leafy greens are SOOO good for our bods!

I like to add kale in my diet once in a while when I get all 'spinached out'. I like variety and eating the same veggies day in and day out just doesn't work for me. Kale is definitely one of those 'super foods' that we all should add to our diets. Kale is a chart topper when it comes to the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. It is very high in antioxidants and is loaded with calcium, B vitamins, fiber and anti-cancer phytochemicals. Now who doesn't want all that in their diet?! 

It's especially easy to add this to your diet when you can transform this leafy green into tasty chips. I was skeptical the first time that I made kale chips, but now I can eat a whole batch in one sitting. They are super tasty and definitely satisfy my craving for a salty snack.

Baked Kale Chips

These chips are super easy to make and they are full of healthy goodness. They will amaze even your biggest skeptics because they are as delish as chips!!

1 bunch of kale

1 - 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Remove the kale leaves from the stems (the stems are edible, but I find them too bitter) and cut the leaves into bite-size pieces.

Place kale leaves into a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil followed by a sprinkling of sea salt.

Lay the leaves out onto your cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until they are crisp and starting to brown around the edges. I give mine a stir about 5 minutes into the baking time.

Note: Keep an eye on your chips. They can go from browning to burnt really quickly and burnt kale chips are not good!!

Serve your kale chips as a side to your favourite dinner (grilled cheese for me please :-) or on their own as a tasty snack.

Enjoy!!!

Now how easy is that?! I think you should run out to the local grocery store or farmer's market right now and pick yourself up a bunch of kale. These chips would make a great afternoon snack for you & your family ;-) and they won't go to your waistline like a normal bag of chips will! We are coming up to bathing suit season after all!

Have you ever eaten kale before? If you have a fave recipe, link me up to it! I feel compelled to add more of this nutritious veggie to my diet!!

What are you up to on this gorgeous sunny day?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Andrea