Kale Salad with Blueberry, Goji and Avocado

March 21, 2013 by ascott • 2 Comments

Kale is one of the most nutritionally dense superfoods and when eaten regularly helps give skin clarity and radiance. In fact, one cup of kale contains:

2.5 grams of protein
354 percent of your RDA for vitamin A (beta-carotene)
89 percent of your RDA for vitamin C
1328 percent of your RDA for vitamin K
27 percent of your RDA for manganese

Kale Salad with Blueberry, Goji and Avocado

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 small bunches of washed kale
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dried goji berries (you can soak them if they’re very hard or dry)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight, drained
1 cup blueberries
1 medium avocado, cubed
Sea Salt
White Pepper

Directions:

1. Remove stems and center ribs from kale. Stack leaves and thinly slice crosswise into ribbons.

2. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and white pepper. Using hands, massage oil and salt into kale leaves. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add Goji berries, pumpkin seeds and blueberries to salad, and toss to mix.

4. Divide between individual plates, top with avocado, and serve.

Preparation Tip:

Some find that Kale has somewhat of a fishy flavor. To minimize this stronger flavor, massage raw kale with olive oil and lemon juice for at least 10 minutes.

How do you like to enjoy Kale?

Baked Kale Chips

January 29, 2013 by ascott • 2 Comments

Baked Kale chips are an ideal snack for Start Fresh or anyone following the anti-inflammatory diet. Low calorie, these dark leafy gems are packed with beneficial nutrients for radiant skin and healthy vision.

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 bunch Kale
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Kale & Watercress Salad with Garlic Anchovy Dressing

December 20, 2012 by ascott • 1 Comment

Consider this salad a recipe for glowing skin. More nutrient dense and less caloric than a traditional Caesar salad, this blend of detoxing and hydrating vegetables packs a serious anti-aging punch. Included in the dressing are anchovies, which are among the health and beauty seeker’s best kept secrets. One of the best bonues? They’re very high in the skin-firming nutrient DMAE and glow boosting Omega-3’s.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 large head Kale, cut into 1-inch strips.
1 bunch watercress, cut into 2-to 3-inch strips.
6 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced.
4 stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced.
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved.
½ cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise.
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil.
8 oil packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped.
6 large cloves garlic, minced.
2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss the Kale and Watercress with the radishes, celery, tomatoes and cucumber.
Combine the olive oil, anchovies, minced garlic in a small saucepan over moderate heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is slightly golden, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season generously with pepper.
Pour the warm dressing over the salad. Season lightly with sea salt and toss again. Serve warm.

Enjoy in good health! What are your favorite dishes for glowing skin?

Spring Greens Frittata

April 12, 2012 by Guest Blogger • 4 Comments

A special thanks to Heather & Desiree of The Fresh Sheet for this Perricone-friendly recipe.

This frittata uses several staples from the anti-aging kitchen – it’s the ultimate quick dinner or brunch. Protein-rich and chock full of nutrient dense greens, this dish is energizing, cleansing and bound to put a spring in your step.

Serves 4

1 + 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and trimmed
1 large bunch of organic kale, washed and trimmed
8 organic omega 3 eggs
Juice of one lemon

Side Salad

1 large bunch of watercress, washed
1 cup of thinly sliced radishes

Optional: ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

To wash leeks, remove green tops and trim end. Slice leek lengthwise and rinse through the layers thoroughly to remove any grit. Then slice into 1/4 inch thick half moons. Remove stems from kale, slice thinly and set aside. Cut kale leaves into one inch squares.

Preheat broiler to high. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Heat a medium, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, leeks and kale stems. Sauté gently until leek is glossy and soft, about 3 minutes. Add kale leaves and sauté until they just begin to wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. If using, stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. When kale is wilted, add vegetable mixture to eggs, stir to combine and then return to skillet.
Cook eggs until set through the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Take off the heat and place under the broiler to finish; eggs should be completely set.

To serve, slice ¼ of the frittata and plate. Toss watercress and radishes in lemon and olive oil dressing and then serve frittata with a small handful of salad.

Enjoy in good health!

Heather McColl is a registered dietitian, chef and food stylist in Vancouver, Canada with a reputation for offering practical nutrition advice that focuses on the enjoyment of food. In her day to day work, Heather helps consumers cook and eat healthy meals through educational programming, media, and marketing. When she’s not in the kitchen creating delicious recipes, you’ll find Heather hiking the local mountains. You can follow Heather on Twitter.

Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian and nutrition operations manager for a small chain of organic and natural food stores in Vancouver, Canada. Passionate about plant-based diets for more vibrant health, Desiree believes that food should not only nourish your body but also feed the soul. When she isn’t chasing around after her toddler, Desiree is a sought-after speaker and blogger. You can also follow Desiree on Twitter

5 Facts on Kale

April 11, 2012 by Guest Blogger • 3 Comments

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, your skin is the window to your overall health. Feeding skin with proper nutrients and supporting proper detoxification processes in the liver can help to reduce the likelihood that internal imbalances will expose themselves on your skin, in the form of blemishes and visible signs of aging.

Long dismissed as garnish, kale has revealed itself to be a potent source of many anti aging, skin-loving nutrients:

1 cup of kale has 3 ½ times your daily beta-carotene needs and plenty of vitamin C to help boost that gorgeous glow.

Kale also contains a host of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonols, such as quercetin, to help defend your body from the stresses of modern life.

Kale provides a dietary source of alpha-lipoic acid, which helps regenerate other anti-oxidants like vitamin C and Glutathione.

Kale’s fibre supports a healthy digestive tract to help keep digestion-related inflammation at bay.

Sulfur-based glucosinolates in kale help to support the natural detoxification pathways in the liver

Queen of the vegetable world, kale has rightfully earned its place amongst Dr. Perricone’s anti-inflammatory super foods. What are your tips for preparing Kale?

You can also follow Desiree on Twitter. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s entry featuring Desiree’s recipe for a Spring Frittata.