Superfood Salad

 

What are superfoods?According to Foodmatters, these are calorie-sparse and nutrient-dense foods that are occur in nature.

Why eat them? They often contain many nutrients our bodies can’t produce on its own but still need for optimal function. These foods pack a powerful punch and you don’t usually have to eat a lot of them to get the vitamins and minerals that you need.

This salad was born from the ingredients I had in my kitchen. I wanted something fresh, quick to prepare, nutritious and yummy. There is always kale in my fridge (this is an unfair statement because we have two full-size double-door fridge-freezer combos — we usually have EVERYTHING in the fridge!), so I decided to make a dent in that supply because you’ve probably heard by now that kale is the motherload of superfoods. Wait, you didn’t know? Basically, kale = great skin, less cancer, more antioxidants, fewer free radicals and better urinary health.

 

 

A few more facts about the ingredients of this salad:

• Almonds are the most nutritionally-dense nut; loads of iron, potassium, vitamin E, unsaturated fats, fibre and magnesium. Almonds can help reduce your LDL levels and it can assist with weight loss.
• Chia seeds contain vitamins A, B, D and E. They are also high in iron, zinc and magnesium. They contain 8 times more omega-3 fatty acids (these are good fats, promise) than salmon and 6 times more protein than kidney beans [1], because gains, bro.
• Chickpeas contain loads of fibre and can help stabilize blood suger levels
• Kale is high in vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
• Coconut oil can help you lose weight, is filled with medium-chain fatty acids and is an anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial powerhouse. Aw yeah!

Salad time!

Superfood Salad

Serves 2 as a side dish, or 1 hungry human!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale (as many stems as can fit in your hand)
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• ¾ cup of chickpeas (boiled or canned)
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 4 tablespoons of almonds (raw or dry-roasted)
• 2 ripe nectarines
• 1 teaspoon crushed or chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Small pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Method:

1. Heat a small frying pan (or pot) on very low heat and add the coconut oil.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and let the garlic fry for about a minute.
3. Remove from heat, add salt and allow to cool.
4. Wash and dry the kale.
5. Tear kale leaves into your desired size.
6. Place leaves in a salad dish and drizzle over the garlic oil.
7. Massage the oil into the leaves for at least 3 minutes.
8. Add in chickpeas and lemon juice and mix well.
9. Slice nectarines and add on top of the salad mix.
10. Chop almonds and sprinkle these and the chia seeds over the nectarines.

Notes:

• Massaging the oil into the kale helps break the leaves down as they can be very hard to chew. It also removes the bitterness of the kale. Taste a leaf after you’ve massaged the oil in; if it is too bitter for you then fry the oiled kale on a low heat. This will, unfortunately, remove some of the nutrients from the kale and oil.
• You can add the ingredients in any order you like; the order I used helps with presentation
• If you are not a vegan, you can Danish feta to the salad to make it more substantial
• If you are a vegan, you can add grilled tofu to the salad to make it more substantial and to add some earthy flavour
• Kale can be found at the Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market or The Morning Trade Market
• Use spinach if you don’t have kale
• Use peaches or plums if you don’t have nectarines
• Any salt will do if you can’t find Himalayan salt
• Coconut oil is found in health shops, Food Lovers Market, Oxford Freshmarket, Pick N Pay and Spar

Questions? Comments? Fill in the form below!

Enjoy your newfound love of kale!

Mireesha

PS: please do not reproduce the recipe or my photos without asking me first 🙂

References

• http://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/kale-superfood.php
• http://foodmatters.tv/health-resources/fruit-and-nut-superfoods
• http://www.sprypub.com/blog/chickpeas-please-8-ways-to-use-this-superfood/
• http://www.naturalnews.com/040564_chia_seeds_omega-3_sources_healthy.html#
• http://greatist.com/health/superfood-almonds