Fresh, organic greens are a real delight, so when I was recently gifted with a bouquet of freshly picked, garden grown kale and chard varieties, I was understandably impressed. I love the deep earthy flavour of these greens and will often eat them with a simple dressing of lemon juice and a little Himalayan salt over finely chopped leaves, or add them to a scramble of eggs with some chilli flakes for a delicious omelette. This time, my generous friend also arrived with a new take on a classic vinaigrette dressing to tantalise my taste buds. Try this one out for yourself!
Full of vitamin C to enhance the absorption of iron from the greens, a sprinkling of anti-inflammatory spices, omega 3 oils from flaxseeds and some apple cider vinegar to spark digestion and lower the glycaemic load of my meal, topping kale with this dressing is certainly adhering to food as medicine standards!
Kale itself is part of the broccoli family, which has a fabulous reputation in terms of health benefits. With relatives including arugula (known more commonly in Australia as roquette), bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, horseradish, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, watercress and wasabi, kale is basically dark green vegetable royalty.
Brassica vegetables possess high levels of antioxidant metabolites associated with beneficial health effects.
Read more here: Identification of Antioxidant Capacity in Brassica oleracea
The superfood mantle seems to be well deserved, although standard farming practices contribute to high pesticide residues, meaning that kale is one of those vegetables that you really can insist on buying organically grown.
Ingredients:
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp of ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp of turmeric or paprika
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
- Himalayan salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Pour over your finely sliced fresh kale leaves, and throw in a handful of chopped walnuts and a sprinkling pepitas for a satisfying crunch.
Serve as a side dish or an appetiser and your dinner guests will be sparkling with health and tapping you on the shoulder for another serve.
Is kale easy to eat? Most definitely!
