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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Raw Kale and Blueberry Salad



This raw kale and blueberry salad tasted absolutely delicious
The tartness of the kale combined with the sweetness of the berries and the nuttiness of the sesame seeds was really exceptional. 

I've seen recipes that I've ignored in the past because I always thought, 
"I'll never eat that raw kale. It's not for me."
I've always only used kale for juicing in the past. 
However, when my CSA gave me a beautiful large bunch of organic kale, I knew I had to come up with a recipe for it. It was just too much for juicing.
 So, I just chopped up the kale leaves very fine and let my creative juices start working.

What did I add to this fresh raw salad? Juicy blueberries and sesame seeds. The salad looked so pretty, and then I tasted it and was immediately thrilled.
In addition, it's amazingly healthy because blueberries and kale are on the top ten list for powerful antioxidants that may help prevent cancer and other diseases.


We ate it with an orange cashew dressing

The first time I made this salad,  it was Friday night and I had invited family and friends over for dinner. My son and daughter-in-law have recently started following Dr. Furman's Eat for Health book to lose weight and eat a healthier diet. My daughter in law, Wendy, says that she has been losing weight easily without any hunger! She says the book explains why the standard American diet (SAD diet) is typically a killer and contributes to the rise in high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc.  In addition, this way of eating is supposed to stop food addictions and cravings!!

Following the diet, my kids are primarily eating lots of raw and vegan food ( this week anyway ). They are still eating fish, chicken, and eggs. Wendy says the book is very educational for how to prevent disease and gives lots of tasty recipes. ( Dr. Furman has a newer book called Reversing Diabetes. It might be worth checking out.)

Anyway, Wendy brought an orange cashew dressing that she adapted from Dr. Furhman's book. Honestly, it was out of this world. Of course, we used it on the kale salad, and it really enhanced it even more. It was perfect (recipe follows)

                          
Ingredients for the salad:
8-10 individual stems of organic kale, stems remove and the leaves
chopped fine or shredded.
1 - 1 and a half  cups of organic blueberries
1-2  tablespoons of raw sesame seeds (or toast them if you prefer)
optional: add raw sunflower seeds(I didn't)

Directions: 
Wash kale well, remove stems, and chop or shred fine.
Place in a large salad bowl. Add the blueberries and the sesame seeds. Toss well.
Toss with a flavored vinegar or make the following orange cashew dressing.

Ingredients for orange Cashew  sauce (we doubled it)
2  seedless oranges, peeled
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least half-hour or more
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar  (or white vinegar)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a blender
Use as a dressing for salads


What else did we eat with the salad ? 

Homemade lentil  vegetable soup
Tomato, and Raw corn salad
Waldorf type Broccoli Slaw Salad
Quinoa Burgers topped with guacamole

OK, I admit that it was a feast, not a meal. If I were cooking for just my husband and me, the meal would have been much lighter. We probably would have just had the soup and salad or the salad and burgers. But I'm never sure what my company will like in vegan food, so thus the variety and too heavy of a meal.

 To maintain good health and possible protection from degenerative diseases, it's recommended to eat a rainbow of colors every day with nine fruits and vegetables!

There are three rich colors in this salad alone! Each color of the rainbow offers specific antioxidant protection against disease (not to mention a variety of healthy nutrients). Even if you have never tried kale before, or if you only use it for juicing.. try this salad!


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33 comments:

  1. Hello Judee,

    Now I have a reason to try Kale.
    This looks delicious and I love
    blueberries. Thank you for sharing.

    Bear Hugs,
    Carolyn

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  2. Carolyn,
    Hope you enjoy it. It is really green and really healthy

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  3. I love the combination of flavor and ingredients that you have in this salad--especially the blueberries and that orange-cashew dressing. Yum! ;-) Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week.

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    Replies
    1. Deb,
      Judging from all the healthy recipes on your blog, I'm sure you will enjoy this.

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  4. This sounds fantastic, we try to eat gluten free often, will def try this yummy sounding salad!
    Jenna

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    Replies
    1. Jenna,
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It's so nice to meet you. I just checked out your blog and I love all the great decorating ideas.

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  5. I discovered your blog through Creative Monday Blog Hop. I have been using kale in my salads and smoothies for about a year now. I will definitely try this recipe. I love the colors! Did you soak the cashews before blending?

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  6. Victory,
    I'm so glad you discovered my blog. It's so nice to meet you. My daughter in law made the dressing and did not soak the cashews. I was thinking that if I made it I might soak them first. I've been over to your blog and love your recipes.

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  7. What a lovely salad. I'd especially love to try it with the Orange Cashew Dressing. Thank you so much for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.

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  8. I am not a huge fan of raw Kale either. I mostly use it for green smoothies or to make kale chips. I am definitely going to try your salad though as it sounds like a tasty combination. Thanks for sharing it.

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  9. I never thought to use blueberries in my salad! This would be an excellent Trim Healthy Mama Crossover dish!
    Thanks for linking to Trim Healthy Tuesday!

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  10. I've always been hesitant to try kale, mainly because I'm not big on greens except for spinach. But I'm not sure if that really counts?! However, I do love blueberries and the orange cashew dressing seems to be screaming at me...in a good way. This is a lovely salad all around, Judee. Thank you for sharing this week.

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  11. How did you come up with that dressing? I think It would go well with a variety of greens. Thank you so much for sharing on our BBQ Block Party.

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  12. My mouth is watering just reading this post! Better yet - whole-food, plant-based ingredients. I'm definitely making this salad over the weekend. Thanks for posting; I'm printing out the recipe right now!

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    Replies
    1. I know the blueberries, kale and orange cashew dressing are outrageous.Enjoy

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    2. Hi Judee, just made this tonight and it was fast and delicious! Thanks so much for posting; it was perfect with baked sweet potatoes. (Found you over on Raw Foods Thursdays on Gluten-Free Cat, btw!)

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    3. thanks for letting me know.. so glad you enjoyed it

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  13. I made a kale salad for the first time this week and liked it. Your recipe is next up.

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    Replies
    1. If you liked the kale salad, you will love this one. The blueberries really make it zing!

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  14. I've had kale all sorts of ways, but never with blueberries! The orange cashew dressing has my name all over it!! Thanks for sharing at Raw Foods Thursdays. I'm pinning it to our RFT board!

    Heather

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    Replies
    1. Hi Judee, I'll be highlighting this delicious salad at Raw Foods Thursdays tomorrow. Hope you can stop by! Thanks again for sharing with us!

      Heather

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  15. Heather,
    I was surprised as well at how good the sweet blueberries taste with the kale. Let me know if you try it..

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  16. The Orange dressing sounds delicious! Thanks for linking up to Two Girls and a Party! <a ref="http://365ishpins.com:>365ish Days of Pinterest</a>

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  17. You got me I wouldn't have thought of putting kale and blueberries together but I can see how it could work. Thanks for sharing your salad with us on foodie friday.

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  18. Delicious raw kale blueberry salad, thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog hop.

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  19. I've never actually had any kale, but the blueberries look wonderful in here. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday

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  20. This recipe looks delicious! We are about to go blueberry picking and we have plenty of kale, so it is a perfect combo all the way around!Thanks for sharing on Locavore Living!

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  21. I add a small container of Feta cheese for a little extra zing.

    cheese board & salad bowl

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  22. This looks so delicious! I'm following a low carb eating plan and this would be perfect for me. Thanks for sharing your recipe at the Say G'day Saturday link up. I've just pinned this.

    Best wishes and hope to see you again this weekend.
    Natasha in Oz

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  23. This looks delightful to say the least! Now I just have to get the husband to eat raw vegetables! Thanks for linking at #pintasticpinterestingparty

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  24. Hi Judee,
    Two of my favorite foods in one amazing dish! Thank you so much for sharing this healthy and delicious Raw Kale and Blueberry Salad recipe with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I appreciate it!

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