Saved by the Kale

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Revamped Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This is one of my favorite treats to make.  It is really hard for me not to make this every week! The entire family loves it.  Over the months I have played around with the recipe to make it healthier.  Make a loaf and enjoy!

What you will need:

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 plus 2 tbsp stevia
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 4 very ripe bananas
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice the bananas into chunks. Put them into a large bowl and mash them using a potato masher. Stir in the canola oil. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork. Add the egg, stevia, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Then stir in the flour and chocolate chips. Then pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. (I usually take mine out at 48 mins) Enjoy!!!

Quinoa Fruit Salad

I stumbled upon this delicious recipe for Quinoa Fruit Salad on Pinterest and decided to try it out.  It is amazing!  It makes a great side dish or snack. It would even be good to eat for breakfast.

You can add whatever fruit you like or have on hand. I love mangos, so I knew I had to add those.  Also added blueberries and strawberries.

Here is the recipe.

Quinoa Fruit Salad

(Thanks to twopeasandtheirpod.com)

Yield: Serves 6-as a side dish

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quinoa with blueberries, strawberries, mango, and a refreshing honey lime dressing. This easy and healthy Quinoa Fruit Salad goes well with any summer meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • Pinch of salt

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

  • Juice of 1 large lime
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

For the fruit:

  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped mango
  • Extra chopped mint, for garnish-optional

Directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

2. To make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together until combined.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note: Use your favorite fruit in this salad. Blackberries, peaches, kiwi, raspberries, pineapple, grapes, etc. are great options!

Why You Should Start Eating Kale Today

Up until last year I had not really heard much at all about kale, but since then I see it everywhere I look! About 6 months ago I decided to give it a try and I have been in love since. What’s not to love? Let’s talk about all the wonderful things our friend kale does for us.

Kale is a Superfood

Kale is widely regarded as one the world’s most powerful superfoods; it is far more nutritious than any other leafy green. But what makes a superfood “super”? First, kale is considered a superfood because it’s a great source of vitamins and minerals. It is a nutritional powerhouse that is packed with flavonoids, which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It has very high levels of Vitamins A, C, and K. It only takes one cup of chopped kale to provide you with  more than your recommended daily allowance of these vitamins. It also is a good source of Vitamin B6, calcium, thiamine, folate, and iron.

That’s Great, But How Do You Prepare Kale?

So what are the best ways to prepare this green leafy superfood? You can saute, steam, and bake it or eat it raw in smoothies (which is my personal favorite.) You should know that boiling or baking kale can result in lower absorption of isothiocyanates by 18-59%. You will have much higher absorption by eating it raw, steaming or sautéing it. This is important because isothiocyanates combat carcinogens by neutralizing them, reducing their poisonous effect and stimulating the secretion of carcinogens. For these reasons, kale is often included in many cancer prevention diet plans. You can learn more about what makes kale a super food here.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat kale…

  1. 3-4 cups of raw kale made into a Green Smoothie
  2. Lightly sautéed with a little olive oil and garlic
  3. Sautéed and mixed with a few spoonful of stewed tomatoes. The tomatoes add so much flavor.

So Give Kale A Try

Now that we’ve demystified kale a bit you should feel free to give it a try. Go out to your local market and buy some today. You’ll be glad you did!!

Image credit: Creative Commons LicenseCharles Smith via Compfight