Massaged Kale & Apple Salad

We all know that Kale is good for us.  Being accurately labelled as a 'Super Food', Kale boasts an impressive CV, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties thanks to the power house of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals it provides.  Incorporating this lean mean green machine into your weekly diet will aid in digestion (thank you fibre), fight off common colds and have you feeling fab!   

This salad is a bit of a hit in my family and is not only delicious, but super great for you.  I'm going to be honest, kale chips make me want to gag, but this crunchy salad is refreshing and zingy (also goes nicely with steamed salmon). 

TIME: 15 minutes 

SERVES: 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch of curly kale (approx. 8 - 10 stems)

1 green apple

1 red onion 

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

juice of 2 lemons 

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 

salt & pepper

METHOD: 

Remove the stems of the kale and roughly chop into bite size pieces, then wash & strain it

Slice the apple into matchstick pieces (about 5mm thick) and the red onion into thin slices

In the bottom of a large bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard and season with salt & pepper

Pour the kale on top of the dressing, then get messy and massage the kale into the dressing, making sure every leaf is covered

Mix in apple and onion slices, then sprinkle with grated parmesan

This is often better after being left (in the fridge) for a couple of hours, as the kale has time to tenderise

Serve with some yummy steamed salmon and baby potatoes for a nutritious meal!

Obviously this salad can be adapted to suit your tastes and nutritional requirements, would be fab with goats cheese or pomegranate or walnuts mixed in.  It's also great as left overs, I always make too much so I can take it to work the next day! 

Please don't KALE my vibe! 

V x 

Seven Layer Dip

Post-holiday blues are starting to kick in and I want to feel like I'm on holiday again, even if only for one snack! This 7 layer dip is actually one of the easiest and yummiest things to make, and it's actually quite good for you! I've been known to make it for dinner, it's the perfect movie night snack.  My friends rave about this and I'm obliged to bring it along to most social gatherings, so here's the recipe to make it yourself! Trust me, you won't be disappointed! 

TIME: 20 minutes 
SERVES: party of 10 (or one very hungry girl)

INGREDIENTS:

1 head of lettuce, washed and chopped finely
1 can of low-sodium refried beans
2 ripe avocados, mashed
1 cup sour cream 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 
1 cup grated orange cheddar cheese
4 tbsp sliced spring onions 

METHOD:

Find a glass dish with about 1.5 inches depth

Evenly spread the chopped lettuce out on the base of the dish

Cover the lettuce with all of the refried beans

Stir a little lemon juice into the mashed avocado (to stop it from browning) and layer it on top of the refried beans

Spread the sour cream out on top of the avocado (make sure to wash your spoon/fork before handling the sour cream to avoid mixing the layers) 

Place the cherry tomatoes on top of the sour cream

Sprinkle cheddar cheese and then sliced spring onions as the final two layers

Enjoy with some corn chips or carrot sticks! 

WARNING: one taste is never enough! 

V x 

Clean Eating - The Opposite of Dirty Eating?

Starting the New Year off on the right foot, many of us will stick to Clean Eating.  Overnight our diets alter, abolishing carbs, sugar and junk food, only to crash and burn a week later and spiral into a binge of all things "naughty". Despite our best intentions, come 10pm all kinds of cravings kick in and we find ourselves in bed with half a block of Cadburys and a packet of ready salted crisps. Then comes the guilt. The overwhelming feeling of failure and the (half-hearted) promise of waking up tomorrow and getting it right the next time.  

In my eyes, healthy eating IS NOT the same as clean eating. What exactly is clean eating? Do you make sure all your food is washed before you touch it? Do you cook with no oils or fats? Do you ONLY eat vegetables and drink water? I think the term Clean Eating is a ploy, designed by the fitness industry to completely mess with our minds. Does it mean that every food or drink NOT classified as clean, is dirty?  No, of course not. But that's not what we're made to believe.  

It's human nature to think of anything that isn't wrong, is right.  We like to think in black and white, because it makes things simpler.  But when it comes to health and healthy eating, we need to start thinking in all colours of the rainbow.

Health is a state of being free from illness or injury (according to the good ol' Oxford Dictionary) but health is so much more than not being sick.    Health is a state of equilibrium and balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  The truth is, if one of these is off balance, everything will be thrown off.  So we need to try and achieve balance in all aspects of life. 

For example...

Imagine the person who eats 100% "clean" - nothing but vegetables, water, lean proteins and fruit (because according to some "clean eating" guidelines, grains are the devil). Sure, physically they'll look slim, but emotionally they're locked in an obsessive relationship with food, similar to an eating disorder, and most probably are not happy.  Chances are, things are going to start going wrong. Anxiety will play a huge factor in their daily lives. Relationships will suffer. Eventually they will get sick because their diet isn't really that great. And despite what it looks like on the outside, that person is NOT HEALTHY. 

On the contrary, the person who eats well most of the time, but isn't afraid of a sociable glass of wine or piece of Cadbury's chocolate here and there.  They are mindful with their food choices but don't think too much about food, because they have other things going on in their lives. They are relatively sociable (hence the sociable wines), workout when they can and are pretty laid back. Sure, this person might not look like GiGi Hadid as they walk down the beach, but they are HEALTHY.  

What I'm trying to say is it's very hard to maintain scenario one, it's too extreme.  Extremes are not good for the body, they send us into survival mode.  The best thing is to be balanced.  Small tips of balance are relatively easy for the body to handle.  But going extreme (like cutting out all carbs, sugar and junk food) will send us into turmoil.  

So in the New Year, be kinder to your body.  Ease into a healthier diet.  Don't beat yourself up about one bad meal or "dirty" food choice. Just carry on, evolve, and do the best you can.  

I'm now off to find some ready salted crisps....

V x