Food Friday: "The Best Kale Salad Ever!"

I was lucky to head home for a short vacation this past weekend, to celebrate Father's Day with my whole family. With a couple of us living in different provinces/countries, we really appreciate the time we can all spend together. 

One perk about heading home is having my mom take the reigns on family meals. With more experience in the kitchen, there are much fewer mistakes (and mess!) than I tend to make. She is always trying new things like me and has great resources for finding new recipes. As a side salad for dinner one night, she prepared this delicious kale salad, rightfully named "the best kale salad ever." It combines many things I love, including ginger, apples, avocado, nuts and of course the superfood kale (skipping the trendy brussel sprouts for now :)). This salad is great as a side salad for dinner, or as a main dish for lunch topped with grilled chicken or salmon. Not only does it taste great, the ingredients are all healthy, doing the name justice.

What's all the fuss about?

Kale - Green leafy vegetables are definitely something I stress to include in a daily diet. They are packed full of nutrients, such as vitamin A, C and iron, and a source of antioxidants. Its insoluble fiber also helps to eliminate toxins through your digestive system and regulate bowels.

Garlic - Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic, is an antioxidant and immune stimulant. It helps decrease blood pressure, fight off infection and and much more. Although adding it to food for flavour is not quite as effective as chopping up a clove and swallowing it raw! Not as scary as it sounds...although my sister would beg to differ :)

Ginger - Another powerful antioxidant, and carminative (calming to the digestive system).

Apples - Apples are a source of quercitin, a natural antihistamine, and blood sugar regulator. They also provide you with insoluble fiber. 

Lemon juice - Stimulate digestion, and your overworked liver to work optimally.

Avocado - A great source of healthy fats, which will slow down digestion, keep you full for longer and avoid a spike in blood sugar. 

Ingredients:

2 bunches washed and dried kale

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 whole ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium apple, cored and chopped

2 tsp minced fresh garlic

2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp tamari (a wheat free alternative to soy sauce, with a slightly different flavour)

1/2 cup raw, chopped cashews

Preparation:

Remove the large stems and then chop the kale; place in large bowl. Add the lemon juice and avocado. With your hands, mix together until the avocado is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately. (Serves 6)

(This recipe is taken from the cookbook "More Vegetables Please!", passed onto my Mom through Wellspring's Holistic Nutrition Class.)

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did. You may want to add less ginger and/or garlic, depending on your preference. 

In health and happiness, 

Dr. Karen 

(Photo credit: MindBodyGreen.com)

Food Friday: Morning Granola

Deliciouslyella.com

Baked goods and granola are definitely a weakness of mine so when I became gluten free (yes - I do know what that means Jimmy :)) and focused on less processed sugar, I started making my own granola. Have you ever read the label of store-bought granola? It tends to have the highest amount of sugar in comparison to other (healthy) cereals, up there with fruit-loops and captain crunch. I suggest reading labels and aiming for foods, such as cereal and yogurt, to have under 5 grams of sugar. 

Pros of homemade granola:

• All natural sugars instead of processed sugars, eg. honey and maple syrup, and you can control the amount
• Good source of protein with nuts and seeds - helps to balance blood sugar in the morning, helps produce neurotransmitters, eg. dopamine, serotonin, important for mood
• Eaten as a healthy breakfast with coconut milk or yogurt or as a snack on the go
• Can mix and match depending on what you like - I love adding things like ginger, quinoa, coconut

I have my go to granola recipes that taste great but I am starting to crave something different, so I was thrilled when Ella from deliciouslyella.com just put up a new recipe! I can't wait to try it this weekend. Made with buckwheat and ginger, it is gluten and nut free. Great for those of us with nut allergies and the buckwheat adds an extra crunch. There are a couple more steps involved in this recipes, compared to the usual dump stir and bake, but I'm sure it is worth it. 

There are great photos on her post so just click HERE for the recipe. Tell me what you think? 

If you are looking for a nuttier combo check out her cinnamon and pecan granola. I add a 1/4 cup raw quinoa and some shredded coconut for an extra punch. Want a little more spice, check out this spiced brain boosting granola from my fellow ND and friend Dr. Emily Munn. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Collard Green Wraps

After reading about the benefits of a gluten-free diet in my last post, you may be in need of a healthy gluten-free lunch. Why not try these delicious collard green wraps! Wraps without a tortilla you say? You bet!

Collard greens are a great alternative to whole wheat or corn tortilla wraps. I tend to avoid those corn tortillas since they so easily break apart. Collard greens on the other hand are large enough to fit a decent amount of filler, tend not to break apart and are very nutritious.  

A part of the cruciferous vegetable family, collard greens have numerous health benefits. Here are just a few:

• Detox support - Your liver is the biggest organ responsible for detoxification and the nutrients in collard greens, for example I-3-C, support this organ's function. We want to avoid a build up of those nasty toxins of course. 
• Antioxidant support - An excellent source of vitamin C, A and E (to name a few), collard greens lowers the risk of oxidative stress to our cells, which can lead to such conditions as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. 
• Anti-inflammatory benefits - Collard greens are also high in vitamin K and a good source of omega 3s, both of which are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the basis of most conditions, including arthritis, allergies, digestion concerns and cancer.   

Collard Wraps Recipe:

• large collard greens (without too many holes!)
• hummus
• sliced grilled chicken
• avocado
• raw greens salad
  • thinned chopped collard greens, kale or swiss chard
  • grated carrots and/or beets 
  • toasted sunflower seeds
  • crushed garlic to taste
  • freshly squeezed lemon
  • olive oil
  • sea salt

Cut the stems off the bottom of each collard green. Blanch collard greens by dunking each one in boiling water for approximately 60 seconds (this makes them more pliable for wrapping). Remove with tongs and let cool. Place a green onto a large plate or cutting board and fill her up (at the bottom or stem end)! Fold the sides in slightly then roll up tightly. Store in the fridge or cut and enjoy right away! (recipe adapted from nourishingmeals.com)

Feel free to change up the filler to your liking but I promise these won't disappoint. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Scrumptious veggie burgers

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on (wait...I think that's it for me!) you may have picked up on my new favourite thing...the OhSheGlows cookbook. This talented women is from my hometown of Oakville, ON, and was first introduced to me by my mom's personal trainer. It's great how people can be in different provinces, or even different countries, and connect through a certain passion (healthy delicious food in this case).

Although I always recommend The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook to friends, family and patients, this new cookbook is definitely going to be a go to as well. I am not a vegan, and probably never will be, but I've come to the conclusion that meat is not my forte to cook, which is one reason why this vegan cookbook (yes vegan!) is perfect for me. These recipes are easy to prepare and oh so delicious. There are a few new ingredients that you may have to start stocking in your pantry but not many. 

So far in a week, I have made curry lentil cauliflower soup, cocoa zucchini muffins, buckwheat porridge and these delicious veggie burgers. I wasn't slaving away in the kitchen either! Burgers are a favourite of mine when going out to eat (and no, not the fast food kind), however it is always nice to change it up once and awhile. Put off by veggie burgers? I had a taste tester and he was pleasantly surprised!

Photo from OhSheGlows.com

So whats in them?

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 medium can black beans, drained and rinsed (a source of iron)
• 1 cup grated carrots or sweet potato (I used sweet potato)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves (great for the liver remember!)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red or yellow onions
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted if preferred 
• 3/4 gluten-free rolled oats, processed into a flour (Any blender/grinder/food processor will work)
• 1/2 cup spelt bread crumbs or sprouted-grain brain crumbs, optional (I used rice bread crumbs)
• 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos (Something I'm still not familiar with!), to taste 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4-1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:  

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix flaxseed with 3 tbsp of warm water and let sit.
• In a large bowl, mash the black beans into a paste, leaving a few beans intact for texture. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and the flaxseed mixture. Adjust the seasonings to taste, if desired. Mix well until combined.
• With slightly wet hands, shape the dough into 8 patties. Pack the dough tightly to help it hold together during cooking and place the patties on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the patties for 15 minutes, gently flip them, and bake for 15-20 minutes more, until the patties are firm and golden. 
• Serve in a bun, in leafy green lettuce or crumbled over a salad with avocado, mustard, tomato or any topping you prefer. 

Enjoy and tell me what you think! 

Happy Friday!

In health and happiness,

Dr. Karen