kale

Recipe – Winter Greens Salad

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Powerhouse Kale

Once upon a time there was a testing procedure used by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. It was called the ORAC test (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).

Researchers would look at all the different antioxidants and phytochemicals that are found in a plant food and determine how well they worked together as a team to fight cell-damaging free radicals. The foods were given what is called an ORAC rating. Kale consistently scored as number one among the vegetables. (The ORAC test has since been retired, but kale continues to score high rankings on virtually all the tests that have replaced it.)

Kale is actually a type of cabbage, which means that it has even more health benefits than its antioxidant power alone. Like others in the brassica family, it contains powerful phytochemicals such as cancer-fighting indoles. It’s also high in sulfur, and contains a compound known as sulforaphane, which helps give a boost to the body’s detoxification enzymes and may help fight cancer as well. Sulforaphane is formed when vegetables containing it are chopped or chewed, and it triggers the liver to remove free radicals and other chemicals that may cause DNA damage. Several studies—including one in the Journal of Nutrition—have demonstrated that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer proliferation.

Kale is also loaded with calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, and bone-building K. It contains seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and 10 times as much lutein and zeaxanthin, eye-promoting carotenoids known to help protect against macular degeneration. And 2 cups contain about 4g of protein and 3g of fiber, making it an all-around nutritional powerhouse vegetable. Better Nutrition, February 2020, 17.

Recipe – Winter Greens Salad

Ingredients

1 large bunch curly green kale, ribs removed, chopped into small pieces, sprinkled lightly with salt, massaged for about 30 sec.

1 medium avocado, diced

Dressing

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes

¼ cup soak water

6-8 Tbsp. olive oil

Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon (¼ cup juice), or to taste

1 ½ Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, optional

½ tsp. salt, scant

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Process

Cover sundried tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes to rehydrate. Remove from water; reserve ¼ cup soak water; let cool. Transfer tomatoes and soak water to blender. Add oil, lemon juice and zest, honey, nutritional yeast and salt; blend until smooth. Stir in pepper flakes. Combine prepared kale and dressing; toss until thoroughly coated. Gently fold in avocado and enjoy.

Food for Life – Tomato Kale Dish

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We endeavor to use good judgment in determining what combinations of food best agree with us. It is our duty to act wisely in regard to our habits of eating, to be temperate, and to learn to reason from cause to effect. If we will do our part, then the Lord will do His part in preserving our brain-nerve power.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 492.

“The other members of my family do not eat the same things that I [Ellen White] do. I do not hold myself up as a criterion for them. I leave each one to follow his own ideas as to what is best for him. I bind no one else’s conscience by my own. One person cannot be a criterion for another in the matter of eating. It is impossible to make one rule for all to follow. There are those in my family who are very fond of beans, while to me beans are poison. Butter is never placed on my table, but if the members of my family choose to use a little butter away from the table, they are at liberty to do so. Our table is set twice a day, but if there are those who desire something to eat in the evening, there is no rule that forbids them from getting it. No one complains or goes from our table dissatisfied. A variety of food that is simple, wholesome, and palatable, is always provided.” Ibid., 491.

Tomato Kale Dish

1 1/2 bunches of kale (about 12 cups)

1 cup chopped tomatoes or 1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

1 Tablespoon olive oil or water

1/2 cup cleaned raw cashews

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt to taste

Remove stems from kale, rinse well and chop; then steam until tender. While kale is steaming, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil or water. When onion is soft, add cumin and heat until fragrant; then add tomatoes and peas. When heated through, add kale and cashews. Serve over brown rice.

Submitted by Wally Lacey

Office administrator for an ophthalmology practice in Oceanside, California, Wally enjoys encouraging patients to eat a healthy, vegan diet to improve their health.

Recipe – Kale Salad

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1 bunch kale, stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 lemon, juiced

Kosher salt

2 tsp. honey

1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)

1 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey. Stream in the ¼ cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes. Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pumpkin seeds. Toss and serve.

Food – Kale, the Best of Greens

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Rising immensely in popularity over the last year, kale has changed the diets of healthy eaters around the world. Low in calories, high in iron, and filled with powerful antioxidants, this vegetable has it all. And while kale’s vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K help your body stay healthy, it also serves as a delicious addition to a variety of dishes.

The beautiful leaves of the kale plant provide an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around. Although it can be found in markets throughout the year, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring when it has a sweeter taste and is more widely available. It is easy to grow and can grow in colder temperatures where a light frost will produce especially sweet kale leaves.

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards, and Brussels sprouts that have gained recent widespread attention due to their health-promoting, sulfur-containing phytonutrients. There are several varieties of kale; these include curly kale, ornamental kale, and dinosaur (or Lacinato or Tuscan) kale, all of which differ in taste, texture, and appearance. The scientific name for kale is Brassica oleracea.

Curly kale has ruffled leaves and a fibrous stalk and is usually deep green in color. It has a lively pungent flavor with delicious bitter peppery qualities.

Ornamental kale is a more recently cultivated species that is oftentimes referred to as salad savoy. Its leaves may either be green, white, or purple and its stalks coalesce to form a loosely knit head. Ornamental kale has a more mellow flavor and tender texture.

Dinosaur kale is the common name for the kale variety known as Lacinato or Tuscan kale. It features dark blue-green leaves that have an embossed texture. It has a slightly sweeter and more delicate taste than curly kale.

Look for kale with firm, deeply colored leaves and moist hardy stems. Kale should be displayed in a cool environment since warm temperatures will cause it to wilt and will negatively affect its flavor. The leaves should look fresh, be unwilted, and be free from signs of browning, yellowing, and small holes. Choose kale with smaller-sized leaves since these will be more tender and have a more mild flavor than those with larger leaves.

To store, place kale in a plastic storage bag removing as much of the air from the bag as possible. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for five days. The longer it is stored, the more bitter its flavor becomes. Do not wash kale before storing because exposure to water encourages spoilage.