Raw Cleansing – The Magic of Kale!

By now you may be starting to realize the big difference that foods can make in how your body feels and functions.  Choosing foods that support your body, helps to raise your awareness and your energy level.  One of my favorite foods is kale, so I look for ways to include it in my meals.  Kale has one of the highest ANDI scores possible demonstrating its nutrient density.  Kale is in my favorite juice recipe that I have already shared and I put it into many of my smoothies.  Today I am going to tell you how to make a kale salad and kale chips that you and others will enjoy.  The trick with kale salad is in massaging it to break down the fibers so it is more digestible, to remove the bitterness and enhance the flavor.

Massaged Kale Salad

• 1 bunch of Kale
• Basic dressing recipe from yesterday (1 ounce flax oil,  0.5 ounces of apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt)
• 1/2 cup Fresh pineapple cut into chunks
• 1 Pomegranate (seeded)
• Fresh ground Pepper to taste

Clean and de-stem the kale.  Break the kale into bite size pieces and put in a large bowl.  Pour dressing on top and with clean hands massage each leaf between your fingers.  You really want to work it for about 3-5 minutes.  Then cut your pineapple into bite size chunks.  Peel your pomegranate and separate out the seeds under water.  Add the pineapple and pomegranate seeds into the salad, toss, top with cracked pepper and enjoy!

Other variations on kale salad would be to use apples or peaches, or strawberries.  Or carrots, avocado and raisins.

Simple Kale Chips

• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 3 TB of Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp of Salt
• 1 Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Clean, de-stem and break kale into bite size pieces for chips.  Use a salad spinner to dry if needed.  Mix dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to olive oil and mix well.  Massage mixture into the kale with clean hands. Dehydrate at 118 degrees in a dehydrator for 4-6 hours and serve.  If you don’t have a dehydrator and are not concerned if it’s not raw, you can bake at 250 degrees C in the oven for 15-30 minutes.  Kids and adults alike love these chips, but watch out, they are addictive!

I wear a necklace that says “I ❤ Kale” as I truly love it!  I got the necklace from my friend Chandra who I met on a trip to India with VegNews back in 2012.  I put the necklace on and haven’t taken it off since.  It’s my own reminder how much I love kale!  Not like I really need a reminder, but I love the necklace too.