Better Nutrition February 2020

make it!
Winter Greens Salad
Serves 4
Dressing
¹⁄ ³ cup sundried tomatoes
¹⁄ ³ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon
(¼ cup juice)
1½ Tbs. raw honey
Scant ½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salad
1 large bunch curly green kale, ribs
removed, chopped into bite-sized
pieces, and massaged
1 medium Haas avocado, peeled,
pitted, and diced
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to
taste, optional
1. Cover sundried tomatoes in boiling
water in a small bowl for a few
minutes to rehydrate and soften.
Remove from the water and transfer
to high-speed blender, reserving
soak water. Let water cool until it’s
warm, but not overly hot.
2. Combine ¼ cup cooled soak water,
olive oil, lemon zest and juice,
honey, and salt and pepper, and
blend until smooth. Stir in red
pepper flakes.
3. To make salad, combine prepared
kale and dressing, and toss until
thoroughly coated. Gently fold
in the avocado and top with
Parmesan, if using.
Per serving: 290 cal; 2g prot; 27g total fat
(3.5g sat fat); 15g carb; 0mg chol; 320mg
sod; 4g fiber; 7g sugar
Featured Ingredient:
Kale
Once upon a time there was a testing procedure used by the USDA to determine
the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. It was called the ORAC test.
Researchers would look at all the different antioxidants and phytochemicals
that are found in a plant food and determine how well they worked
together as a team to fight cell-damaging free radicals. The foods were given
what’s called an ORAC rating. Kale consistently scored as number one among
the vegetables. (The ORAC test has since been retired, but kale continues to
score high rankings on virtually all the tests that have replaced it.)
Kale is actually a type of cabbage, which means that it has even more health
benefits than its antioxidant power alone. Like others in the brassica family,
it contains powerful phytochemicals such as cancer-fighting indoles. It’s also high in
sulfur, and contains a compound known as sulforaphane, which helps give a boost
to the body’s detoxification enzymes and may help fight cancer as well. Sulforaphane
is formed when the vegetables containing it are chopped or chewed, and it triggers
the liver to remove free radicals and other chemicals that may cause DNA damage.
Several studies—including one in the prestigious Journal of Nutrition—have
demonstrated that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer proliferation.
Kale is also loaded with calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and bone-building K.
It contains seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and 10 times as much lutein
and zeaxanthin, eye-protecting carotenoids known to help protect against macular
degeneration. And 2 cups of the stuff contain about 4g of protein and
3g of fiber, making it an all-around nutritional powerhouse vegetable.
Photo: adobestock.com
Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
To prepare curly kale for a raw salad, strip the greens from the stems with your fingers. The stems can be chopped
and sautéed or stir-fried for another use later. Chop the leafy part of the kale into small pieces—large pieces make
the salad harder to eat. Sprinkle the chopped kale lightly with salt and massage it well with clean hands for about
30 seconds. Don’t be afraid to squeeze it hard all over to help break down the fibers. Raw kale is tough and can
have a bitter edge—lightly salting and massaging it will mellow the flavor and soften the texture without cooking.
FEBRUARY 2020 • 47