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Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Massaged Kale the Crowd's All Here Salad

Recipe for Massaged Kale Salad

 

Want to make a simple, luscious kale salad with only a few ingredients? 



Post updated 3/9/2023



Check out the recipe below. It features curly green kale, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. It's so tasty, even those who usually skip eating a salad will cheer about it.


 

Prepare this color-rich dish for lunch, brunch, or serve it with bowls of soup to those gathered round your dinner table. 



See ways to add additional plant-based protein to the dish and reap big health and flavor rewards.


tips, ideas for WFPB foods recipes


Kale is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, a plant that grows even through the cold weather months. 


It is a healing, inexpensive leafy green that shines in a winter salad. 


Kale is rich in Vitamin A, an important element for eye and bone health. This vitamin helps boost the immune system as well. 


Kale is a good source of Vitamin C, helpful during cold and flu season. 


Kale contains Vitamin K, important for blood clotting and bone building. 


It contains Folate, a B vitamin that's key for proper brain development.


It also contains other nutrients including Lutein and zeaxanthin, that give kale its deep, dark green color.

Curly Leaf Kale, Healthy Salad Fixing


Massaged Kale the Crowd's All Here Salad


Although there are several varieties of kale, I suggest using curly green kale. It's the most common variety, and is heartiest, most fibrous, and best suited to being tenderized (massaged).


Ingredients:

 


2 bunches curly green kale (about 24 stalks)

2-3 fresh squeezed lemons or about 4 Tablespoons of juice

2 Tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional: salt-free all-purpose mixed seasoning,  salt free adobo seasoning, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard




What to Do:

 


1. Wash hands well and dry. Clean kale, remove stems, and tear kale into small pieces. How to Clean Kale Video from Fresh Farm/Food Prints shows you tips for doing that.



Place cleaned, destemmed torn kale pieces into a large salad bowl. Waste not by cutting up stems and putting them into foods you roast, bake, or slow cook for a long time.



2. Roll up your sleeves and squeeze, toss, and turn (massage) kale with oil and lemon juice, until it’s well coated and looks deep dark green. It will feel soft and tender, after about 2 to 3 minutes.



3. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and optional seasonings near the end of the massage process. You might like to include Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon) and apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon) to the mix to add rich, lively notes to the flavor.



4. The kale is done when it's glossy and slightly reduced in volume. That’s exactly what you’re going for.


5. Add extra salad ingredients now. The photo at the top of this post includes butternut squash, carrots, beets, red pepper, and onion. 


Use staples on hand to embellish the salad. Pears, red cabbage, olives, cooked brown rice, lentils, peas, cashews, and slivered almonds are calling me.


6. Get creative and add extras to make this salad uniquely your own.


This recipe serves 4-6 people, and is a fun salad to serve at a party.

 

Store leftover salad in the refrigerator. Add it to stews, soups, casseroles, or drain and serve on a hummus sandwich on whole grain bread or roll. 


Massaged kale will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.


Please let me know whether you've ever made a massaged kale salad in the comments section below.


You'd be surprised to find people who ordinarily wouldn't eat kale on a bet rave about its good taste, when it is prepared this way.


If you haven't massaged kale before, did this post tempt you to try it?


When you make this salad and see how easy it is to put together, please let me hear about that too! 


I read and appreciate every comment, but will not be able to publish those that contain links. Thanks for understanding.


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Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Easy Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup

Vegan Recipes


Celebrate Valentine's Day the easy way by preparing a simple meal for friends, family, significant other, or savor it solo. 

Post updated 1/22/2024

Make Valentine's Day meals attractive, nourishing, and delicious by using whole food plant-based (WFPB) ingredients that are a snap to assemble and warms hearts as well. 


Discover easy to follow recipe ideas below.


They were selected, because they can be made by even a newbie cook, are chock full of colorful veggies or fruit, healthful legumes, crunchy nuts and seeds, filling whole grains, and lively seasonings. 


Rest assured. These Valentine's Day dishes are flavor-packed and versatile.


Mix and match those recipes that appeal to you. Prepare them for weekday or weekend lunches or dinners, and special occasions like birthdays, Mother's day, and Earth Day too. 


Take a moment to read "Why I'm going Vegan for Earth Day" for eco-reasons to eat plant-based.


Use food prep time to unwind and relax, and follow the recipes to make eye-appealing, nutrient rich dishes. 


Remember this ~ preparing a meal with whole food plant-based ingredients is a fabulous way to self-care and show care for loved ones. 💓


When we are mindful about our food choices, it reaps big health rewards!


Tip: Prepare your food the day before, and refrigerate it. Most foods can be served at room temperature. So enjoy the fruits of your labor at your leisure on this special day of love.  

Now on to the recipes.

First recipe up is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and fav of the man I love as well.


Vegan Recipes for valentine's Day


Simple Vegan Pasta with Pesto Sauce 

Recipe by Nancy Andres


Ingredients:


½ lb. pasta

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves

¼ cup raw unsalted cashews or raw unsalted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 to 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Optional Ingredients: red pepper flakes, a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half, parsley, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor


What to do:

 

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package.

2. While the pasta is cooking, place cleaned basil leaves, raw unsalted pine nuts or raw unsalted cashews, and peeled garlic cloves into a food processor bowl fitted with an S blade.

3. Pulse to combine, and stop when mixture is coarsely ground. Turn on motor and pour drops of olive oil through the feeding tube into the bowl in a thin stream.

4. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and additional seasoning ingredients. Pulse a few more times to combine. Blend into cooked pasta. Garnish with organic grape tomatoes or organic red pepper slices.

This recipe serves 2 people. Plate immediately and serve. If you're preparing it ahead of time, refrigerate. Then serve within a day or two at room temp on a bed of lettuce. 

Serve this yummy pesto sauce on your favorite pasta, or on sandwiches, veggies, and whole grains including rice, quinoa, millet, and wheat berries. 

Use it as a topping for sliced heirloom tomatoes or add a few tablespoons to your salad dressing of choice.💓

 

Next up is Alina at Vegan Runner Eats! Her goal is to show you that leading a vegan lifestyle can be easy, healthy, and enjoyable. Vegan Eggplant Rollups with Black Bean-Potato Filling proves that point. 💓




Here's an offering from Nisha at Rainbow Plant Life, where she shows you ways to master vegan cooking at home. Vegan Red Lentil Curry is a fan favorite, and perhaps will become one of yours too.💓



April, the blogger who offers Lifestyle Inspiration for Modern Women serves up Old Fashioned Vegetable and Barley Stew (Vegan) any time she wants a warming, comforting, and incredibly satisfying meal, including special occasions like Valentine's Day.💓



To round out my Vegan Recipe Roundup, here's a scrumptious dessert recipe from Terri, a Licensed Food for Life Instructor and whole food writer at Eat Plant Based. Vegan Chocolate Cake is a treat too good to pass up. As an added bonus, it's naturally sweet, yet sugar free. 💓




Hope "Easy Vegan Valentine's Day Recipe Roundup" inspired you to try out at least a few of the recipes. 


Eating whole food plant-based meals is a tasty way to prevent disease, enhance health, and increase our sense of wellbeing. 


Which recipes piqued your interest?

Please comment below. Share the LOVE by re-sharing a link to this post on social media as well.

If you try any of the recipes, please let my fellow bloggers and me know about it.

I read and appreciate each comment, but will not publish comments that contain links. 

Sending love and hugs to all and my best wishes for a love-filled Valentine's Day. 💓 

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