This might seem off topic for me, since I would, never, ever ever claim to be any sort of chef. Particularly because I tend to be a persnickety foodie and have a discerning palate that annoyed my mother throughout my childhood. (What do you do when your 10 year old refuses to eat cold cuts? Oh, mom, I’m so sorry, thank you for putting up with me…)
Most seriously, I’ve been interested in nutrition since about 16 and remember going to the Whole Foods in college thinking: I wish I could buy stock in this; this is the future. Whole Foods wasn’t a public company then, nor did I have any money, but still, the interest had been birthed. Oh, if only!
I’ve done 7-day water fasts and 2-week pancha karmas in India. Juicing, macro, vegan, raw, paleo, food-combining, aruyveda, no fat, all fat, Mediterranean, bland congee, a dozen spicy master cleanses, you name it.
These days I am easier about food than I have ever been: I eat what I want. Nowadays that translates to primarily vegan, occasionally fish and greens are my #1 consumed food. I don’t do it because I’m so compassionate for little animals (although I do love the lil animals, don’t get me wrong) I do it because it makes me feel fantastic. Twice a year (ish) I will have a burger: either made with love by my fantastic friend Brian, or the $26 Minetta Tavern burger. I fully 1000% percent believe that the care that goes into your food preparation translates into how our bodies integrate it.
A little while back, certain Whole Foods across the country began displaying ANDI scores on each of their fruits and veggies. This stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index” and for all intents and purposes, tells you how awesome, or lack thereof, something is for you.
Kale is 1000 on the scale. The highest score, the winner, the superpower by far. Strawberries are the best of the fruits, paling in comparison by a mere 221. As soon as I started really seeing what was best for me, Kale became an almost daily addition to my diet.
The top 10:
Enough back story! Here’s how to do the simplest, most delish kale recipe of all time.
This is requested by my peeps whenever I’m supposed to bring something to a BBQ! The best part of it, is that it is super easy, kids love it and the sweetness takes off the bitterness of the kale. I have yet to come across someone who did NOT love it.
You need: (I use organic always if it’s available.)
- Kale, any amount
- Agave (preferably raw)
- Lemon
- Sea Salt (I use pink Himalayan)
- Olive Oil (preferably cold pressed, extra virgin)
- Flax seed (always ground; flax seed’s nutritional value is not released until ground.)
Using cooking shears (or regular scissors if ya ain’t got em) cut the kale into pieces; I discard the heavy ends and just used the leafier portions
Lightly steam kale for 2-3 minutes. (Super quick! Longer than that is not necessary.) You don’t need a fancy steamer, I use this in a pot.
Drain kale. Mix in bowl with squeeze of lemon, squirt of agave, dash of olive oil, sprinkle of sea salt and crop dust of flax seed. No exact amounts, just to taste, depending on how much kale you use.
That is it! Try it, it’s amazing. If I am making large portions, I will let the kale cool before mixing it all together. Be sure to drain the water off the leaves well with a salad spinner or paper towels. My ghetto option for a single portion: keep it in the silver metal steamer, close up the petals and shake like crazy over the sink. (We’re not fancy here, just healthy.)
I know this might have seemed off topic for a blog that’s about awakening. It’s all one thing baby, how you take care of one aspect of your life is how you take care of all aspects of your life. As the fantabulous Kris Carr would dub it: this is your ‘God Pod.’ Baby.
But don’t worry, amazing on topic posts are forthcoming, re: awakening… things that will produce this dialogue:
“oh my god, really? That’s amaaaaaazing.”
“ya, I know, totally, riiiiiiight!!!???”
Unless you are a straight man, in which case your response will be:
“BOOM.”
Eat kale! Be love!
xx
