Nature's Way Superfood Powders

I have really been getting into smoothies these days. I find they are great for breakfast. I can blend them up and take them with me to work. I recently purchased a copy of the book "365 Vegan Smoothies" by Kathy Patalsky and I love it! It was one of those books that I borrowed from my local library. I started noting which pages I wanted to photocopy, expecting there to be no more than maybe 5....but by the time I got to the end of the book, I had a huge list of pages. Well, I HAD to buy the book! I have been trying out at least 2 new recipes every week and all but one so far has been a winner with me, so far.

Quite a few smoothie recipes call for the use of kale. Now, I love kale but have to admit that it can be a pain to wash and cut up. Plus, my blender does not seem to cope with it very well, and I end up with chewy smoothies - an oxymoron!
So, I was rather pleased to find the Nature's Way  range pop up on the shelves at Woolworths supermarkets. There was quite a few varieties available, including powders of acai, spirulina, maca, super greens blends, etc. I spotted a kale powder and noticed it was vegan and gluten free, so bought it. The costs was around $10 for a 100g bag and it is suggested you pop 2 tsp into your smoothies. I have been using half of that so far.
It tastes fine and is very convenient to use. You can also use it in salads, soups and dips though I have not tried that yet.

Recipe: Kale, vegan sausage and potato soup

This recipe has been sitting in my folder for a very long time. Where I got it from is a bit of a mystery to me.  I do know that it was not from a vegan or vegetarian cookbook, as the original calls for chorizo sausage. I have substituted that with a vegan sausage  and there are a fair few options out there such as Sanitarium’s Rosemary, Sage and Parsley Sausages , which are what I used in this dish.

There aren't too many ingredients involved and yet the flavour is there. Give it a go!

What you will need:

225g kale, stems removed

225g (or there about) vegan sausages

675kg red potatoes

7 and a half cups vegetable stock

Pinch chili pepper

Method:

Place kale in a food process and process for a few seconds to chop finely.

Cook vegan sausages according to packet instructions and then slice into fairly small pieces.

Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash, adding a little of the cooking liquid to form a thick paste.

Bring stock to boil and add kale and then sausage. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the potato paste gradually, and simmer got approx. 20 minutes. Season with chili pepper and serve.

This soup tastes even better reheated the next day.

Recipe: Kale chips

I just tried out this super simple little snack recipe from www.care2.com  and I think I am on a winner. It is pretty quick to make too. Washing and cutting the kale is probably the longest part, but even that is not all that hard or laborious.

As mentioned in a previous post, kale is super packed with vitamins and minerals and tastes good, to boot.

So far, I know kale can be bought at the Wanneroo Markets, Fresh Provisions, and Fresh Stop at Dogswamp Shopping Centre. I dare say some other groceries might have it too. None of the major supermarkets seem to ever stock it though.  Hunt it down whilst it is still available. It is worth the effort.

What you will need:
a bunch of kale (about 4 cups worth)
1 tbsp olive oil (I use cold pressed extra virgin)
a dash or two of sea salt, herb salt or Cajun spice

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
wash the kale and cut out the stem. Then cut the kale into pieces. Not too little, as they will burn, but don't make them too big, as they won't cook fully. The right size will be a case of trial and error, I have found. But once you got it, you got it!
Toss the pieces in a bowl with the olive oil until coated and then arrange in a single layer on a baking tray.
Roast for 5 minutes and then turn with tongs. Roast for another 10 minutes. kale should be beginning to turn brown, crisp and brittle.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with seasoning and eat straight away.

Kale? What is Kale!?

A lot of the cookbooks and vegan nutrition books that I have perused have had two vegetables pop up in recipes over and over - kale and collard greens, which seem to be fairly popular and findable in the USA. For the life of me, this Australian  had no idea what these were, how to cook them, how they tasted and most importantly, where to buy them.

And then I got lucky - I found kale!

Why lucky? Well, as it turns out, kale is jam packed full of nutrients! This super veggie is a leafy green, related to the cabbage family. There is the plain leaf type and the curly leaf, which comes in a few varieties. I found the curly leafed kind.

Kale is a very rich source of beta carotene and zeaxanthin which are flavonoids that have a strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properites. Kale is also  very rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K Not to mention B6 and Iron. 

So what does it taste like? Well, I decided to keep it simple for my first try and just steamed it in the microwave. The great thing about kale is that it keeps its texture and shape! It does not melt down like spinach tends to. The kale leaves are chewy, slightly sweet with a nutty flavour. 

Kale was a hit in my home. I then started making plans for kale, like trying a simple little recipe for oven roasted kale chips...and then disaster struck. My kale source disappeared! I originally found this veggie being sold at the UWA markets on Tuesdays, by an organic grower. But after a few weeks, they disappeared. So now, I am in search of a new source for my kale fix. 

If anyone living in Perth knows of where I may get my hands on some, please let me know!

Oh....and as for collard greens - I still have never seen them on sale anywhere here. *sigh*

Sometimes it ain't easy eating green.