Healing Kale

Whatever your ailment, I honestly believe that kale could help. That might sound unappealing to you right now, but you should try it out. Add some kale to your diet next week, and you'll see what I mean. It is the very definition of roughage, really. According to the "world's healthiest foods" website: "Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferous vegetables such as kale are chopped or chewed, triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, inhibits chemically-induced breast cancers in animal studies, induces colon cancer cells to commit suicide." Anything that causes cancer cells to commit suicide is top of my list of foods I'd like to promote. Apparently, kale is not only an antioxidant, but it's like an antioxidant catalyst-collaborator, spurring partner antioxidants into action. And you can totally get double your Vitamin A--more than a whole day's worth--with only one cup of chopped kale. And almost a whole dose of your Vitamin C for the day. It contains nutrients that inhibit rheumatoid arthritis and memory loss, too.

I made a kale stir fry this week that looked as good and healthy as it actually was. I didn't intend to write a post about it, but so many people in my office commented on how it looked (and asked for the recipe) that I changed my mind. It was super simple, for those readers who are put off by my complicated recipes, and it only took about 1/2 hour to make.

Kale and Tempeh Stir Fry

1 package of tempeh (see prior post)
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup kale (3 whole leaves)
1 medium onion
2 yellow carrots
coriander, sumac, salt and pepper
olive oil

Chop the kale into small bits (larger and they will be harder to eat and take longer to cook). Dice the red bell pepper, and cut thin circles of carrots. Dice the garlic. Coarsely chop the onion and saute in oil until transluscent. Add the tempeh and garlic, and saute a bit more until the onion is nearly carmelized and the tempeh is browning. Add the red pepper, carrots, and kale and season with coriander, sumac, salt and pepper to taste. Add some water and cover to steam the vegetables. Saute to desired veggie limpness and enjoy all by itself--no rice, no nothin'. Bring your leftovers to work.