Be kaleful!  Kale is in season and it’s time to embrace the leafy green.  This nutritional powerhouse is loaded with vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium and vitamin K, nutrients needed to fight cancer, high blood pressure and protect your immune system.  You may ask yourself, “What else can I make besides soup”?Kale is often dismissed because of its rough texture.  If you massage kale before using it, it softens the texture and sweetens the flavor a bit.  In this recipe, I blended some coconut oil with a few other ingredients to create an Asian type dressing.  To my surprise, the coconut really complimented the kale and tamed the greens nicely.  I added a few chopped almonds for texture and voila- I have a new salad!

Ingredients

8 cups fresh kale, cleaned and ripped2 Tbsp. coconut oil4 tsp. rice vinegar (or white vinegar)4 tsp. low sodium soy sauce2 ½ tsp. sesame seed oil2 tsp. minced ginger1 tsp. fresh lime zest2 garlic cloves, minced2 Tbsp. chopped almonds

Directions

1. Place cleaned kale in a large bowl. “Massage” the kale for 3-5 minutes to soften it up.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together coconut oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Add in ginger and garlic then pour over the salad.  Toss in chopped almonds, lime zest and serve.  The salad may taste better the second or third day after the kale surrenders.

 Makes 8 servings.  Per serving: 95 calories, 6.4 grams fat, 2.6 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1.3 grams fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 158 mg sodium