Kale

This fresh salad made of Tri-color Quinoa (from Trader Joes) is a very easy, healthy and filling recipe. I learned about this recipe from an online nutrition educator. I made changes to her recipe according to what ingredients I have at hand. Here’s how to make this:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Tri-color Quinoa

2 cups Water

1 bundle of Kale, washed and removed tough parts of stalk

1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, sliced

1-2 Avocados, diced

1 small Fuji apple, diced (korean pear or plums could be used too)

1 medium Red Onions, diced

1 can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans

4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 large Lemon

Salt

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside and let it cool.

In a large bowl, mix the washed and cut Kale with some salt and balsamic vinegar. Massage, squeeze and/or kneed for 2-3 minutes until the leaves are soft and had turn to dark green.

Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium, then add a little bit of olive oil. Saute the red onions until half translucent, then add the chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes. Salt to taste.

Together with the Kale in a bowl, mix the sautéed ingredients with the quinoa plus add the diced apple, avocado and lemon juice then mix well. Serve as is or top with some fried tofu, grilled fish or fried eggs.

Very easy and so refreshing to eat.

I first learned about Kale when I was reading recipes for baby food back in 2004 when our eldest daughter was still a baby. It was intimidating at first because I never used or tasted this type of vegetable which was not available at the local markets when I was growing up in Manila. That’s why in my many years of learning to cook, I barely had any interest with Kale.

Making baby food out of Kale was challenging. At first, we thought the kids will not like it but actually, they did! They really did and it was their favorite homemade baby food and since our children like it so much, we should learn to eat it too. This is the start of my Kale challenge:

Here’s an easy recipe that’s not only appealing to the taste, but also appetizing to the eyes.

Ingredients:

1 Block firm tofu

1 lb. Kale

1/2 Large eggplant (North American Variety)

1/4 cup Low sodium vegetable stock

Sliced garlic

Olive oil

Chili pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil on medium low heat. Sauté garlic with a dash of salt until light brown and crispy. Add chili pepper flakes. Add a little more olive oil then cook the eggplant and tofu. Stir in the vegetable stock then turn up the heat to medium high. Lastly, add the kale and cook for a few minutes until cooked to desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

The Truth about Kale

The World’s Healthiest Foods dot ORG