Massaged Kale Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Cranberries

I love kale salad. But I realize that not everyone feels the same way. But this kale salad recipe has the magical power of persuasion to convert anyone into a kale-loving freak!  Guaranteed. Earlier this year, I participated in the Partners-in-the-Parks study tour with the National Honors Society which was absolutely awesome! On the trip, our chaperones gave us the freedom to choose and cook our meals. Not only did we have an insane amount of fun cooking together but everyone chose their favorite recipes so every meal was incredibly delicious!! Guess what one of the items on my menu was? 

Gosh, how'd you know? 

This recipe was the star of the show. Literally, every person hailed praises to this simple green salad. Even the most hesitant skeptics savory every crunch with delight. The Chaperone said "I have never, in my 62 years, ever tasted kale prepared in such a delicious way"! So, you ready to join the party? I figured so. Let's do this!

Choosing the right quality ingredients are important. The ultimate trick, however, to creating is an awesome kale salad is about two techniques: 1) Finely chopping the kale and 2) Massaging the salted kale.  Read on and learn...

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 2 bunches of Kale
• 1/2 cup Walnuts
• !/4 - 1/3 cup dried Cranberries

Dressing

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Honey

DirecTIONS

1.  Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Toast the walnuts for 10-15 minutes or even longer. The toastiness is up to you. Once the walnuts are done. Remove the walnuts from the pan and set aside to cool.
2. Remove the middle ribs (stalks) from the kale. Then chop the kale finely. I chop the kale horizontally then rotate it 90 degrees and chop in that direction again. 
3. Add all the chopped kale to a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, and begin the massage the kale. The massaging is a gentle rubbing, not a pounding motion because you don't want to beat out the juices. The color of the kale will change from an average green to a deep vibrant green hue. 
4. By this time the toasted walnuts should have cooled down. Roughly chop them into smaller pieces. Add the walnuts along with the cranberries to the kale in the bowl.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and honey to make a dressing and pour all over the salad. Toss the salad thoroughly to ensure that every shred is coated with the dressing. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Did you try this recipe?

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Vegan Caramelized Nuts Recipe

This is a recipe for scrumptious vegan caramelized nuts! In our traditional Jamaican family, caramelized or candied nuts are not commonly eaten. So when my mom decided to make these, I was rather indifferent. After tasting one crunch of these, I instantly understood all the talk I had heard about caramelized/candied nuts being so delicious! 

You'll probably want to make at least two recipes of these treats because they will not last for long!

What I especially like about this recipe is the absence of butter! Instead these are gently coated with a light coating of extra virgin coconut oil which is so healthy for you!



Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/4  cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 cup Whole Pecans 
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Dash of Allspice
• Dash of Salt

Directions

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the coconut oil to the warm skillet.
3. Once the coconut oil is fully melted stir in the sugar and allow that to melt for about 4-5 minutes
4. When the sugar is melted and browned, throw in the nuts, salt, and seasoning. Continue to stir the nuts until the sugar begin to harden when the spoon is lifted from the pan.
5. Pour the nuts out onto and pan lined with parchment paper. If you want the individual nuts, gently separate them immediately after pour onto the parchment. If you want clusters of nuts, leave them together.
6. After the nuts have cooled, enjoy!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Mineral Rich for Hair Growth

  

A few years ago I viewed a video on YouTube by a beautiful African American lady who revealed the truth about African American Hair growth and presented a product that aided in increased growth for her hair. Her channel name is Honesty Love.

The Product is Mineral Rich by Maximum Living. Honesty love is such a kind hearted lady. Many people would have found out about this and kept it to themselves or sold it. But she didn't and God is blessing her for it. Honesty Love uses the original Mineral Rich but said that she will try the Mineral Rich plus Aloe. I purchased a bottle or Mineral Rich plus Aloe from Swanson's herbs, and gave it a shot. The results were amazing!

For the first few days that I took Mineral Rich plus Aloe I did experience some mild diarrhea - nothing major. And I attributed this to the fact that there were probably some mineral imbalances and toxins in my body, which the Mineral Rich was dealing with. But then it went away, and now I feel great!  If you experience GI problems, maybe it's because your body is very toxic. It's not a bad thing. I have experienced positive changes with Mineral Rich including:I have been using Mineral Rich plus Aloe for about 3 weeks off and on, and have experienced about 1/2 to 3/4 inches of growth! I take 2 Tablespoons - undiluted every morning before my breakfast.  A lot of reviewers on Amazon.com said that after taking Mineral Rich they were experiencing ongoing issues such as: diarrhea, flatulence (gas), stomach problems, and hair loss(???) among other issues.

-Post Nasal Drip

-Migraine and Hormonal Headaches

-Energy levels

-Hormonal Cramps

-Hormonal Moods

-Fast growing, strong, healthy white  nails

-Bowel regularity

Needless to say, Mineral Rich is a wonderful product for the whole body and mind. Thank you Honesty Love for letting so many people know about this wonderful product!

Update: Instead of using the Maximum Living Mineral Rich brand I have tried Swanson's Brand: Mineral Max. It is a lot more affordable costing only $10.99 per bottle.  My results are the same and there is no difference in taste to me.

Legal Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional. Do not take any of the above and apply to yourself without first consulting your health care professional. This is not meant to treat, cure, diagnose  or prevent any disease, disorder, or any condition of the human body.

Vegan Tuna Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 12 oz.               Roll of Cedar Lake Veggie Tuna

1  cup                  Vegan Mayonnaise

3/4 cup              Celery, finely diced

3/4 cup              Cucumber, finely diced

2/3 cup              Green Pepper, finely diced

1 Tbsp.               Lemon Juice

Pinched of         Dill, finely chopped

Pinch of             Parsley, finely chopped    

Kitchen Supplies:

- Medium sized mixing bowl (or I make it in the container that I will store it in to save on time and less dishes!)

- Chopping Board

- Chopping Knife

- Mixing Spoon or Spatula

- Kitchen Shears

- Measuring Cup set

1. Cut off the end of the Veggie tuna roll with your kitchen shears, and squeeze it out into your large mixing bowl. The veggie tuna comes flaked and ready to go!

2. Chop up all your veggies and add them to the veggie tuna.

3. Stir it all together...

4.Add your mayo, and mix it up...

4. At this point your Tuna Salad is complete. If you would like, you may place it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight for the flavors to blend together! Enjoy!! 

I love tuna salad sandwiches with cucumbers and tomatoes :)

Jamaican Vegetarian Ackee Recipe

Well prepared Ackee is a dish that every Jamaican loves. Ackee is a yellow fruit that is eaten in many Caribbean countries. The raw fruit is very poisonous. The toxins in the unripe fruit are believed to be the cause of the Jamaican Vomiting Sickness. So, it is cooked and eaten as a savory dish.

Ackee is typically eaten for breakfast. Many traditional roots and starches are eaten with it including yam, boiled green bananas, coco, dashien, roast breadfruit, boiled dumplings and fried dumplings. Check out the recipe for my Jamaican Fried Dumplings here.

Ingredients

1/2 Red Onion, sliced

3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Sweet pepper, sliced

1-2 small Roma Tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 can Ackee (There are many brands, however, my mother prefers the Grace brand)

2-3 fresh Thyme sprigs

1 teaspoons Vegetable bouillon

1 teaspoon Organic Adobo seasoning blend (like Simply Organic or Frontier)

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water. Drain the excess water out of the can of ackee and submerge the ackee in the boiling water for 30 seconds.*
2. Drain the ackee in a colander and set aside.
3. Preheat olive and coconut oils in a skillet over medium-low heat.
4. First saute the sliced onions until they are beginning to soften.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes next, and saute until most of the liquid is evaporated.
6. Then add the roughly chopped peppers and all the seasonings, thyme, salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to high and begin to quickly stir the mixture.
7. Lastly, carefully add the ackee. Here is where you should be careful. The trick to a good ackee dish is to not break up the ackee pieces. So the trick to stirring the ackee without breaking it up is to flip the ackee. Push the spoon under it and turn the spoon over. Wallah!
8. And then enjoy! Plate the ackee on a pretty dish and eat with some roots or dumplings. Enjoy, ya mon!

*Note:

• Sometimes, ackee may have a slight sour aftertaste. This is sometimes due to the brand of ackee or the processing of a certain batch. Boiling the ackee quickly (blanching) will eliminate this taste.

Jamaican Fried Dunplings Recipe

Here is a recipe for an essential element to a classic Jamaican breakfast. Fried dumplings are the Jamaican equivalent of biscuits, although they are not eaten as frequently as the American biscuit. Jamaicans love to eat fried dumplings for a traditional Sunday morning breakfast, holiday breakfasts, or community socials. This recipe makes a large batch, approximately 16-18 Jamaican Fried Dumplings.

Ingredients

4 cups All Purpose Flour (King Arthur is great!)

2 teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Baking Powder

1 cup Water, plus 4-6 additional Tablespoons as needed

Expeller pressed Safflower oil

Directions

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large sturdy bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Pour the water into the well and slowly stir the mixture into a dough. add more water if necessary but try to maintain a thick, dense, solid, and smooth dough.
3. Preheat 1/4 inch of Expeller pressed Safflower oil on low heat.
4. Break off egg sized pieces of dough and shape them into flat discs.
5. Fry on a large low flame. Dumplings are finished when they are a deep golden brown hue. Firmly tap the dumplings and listen for a hollow sound. This also indicates completeness. They take approximately 7-10 minutes on each side.
6. Place the dumplings on a plate layered with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
7. Serve these with Ackee and Vegetables or Jamaican style cooked down cabbage. Enjoy, Ya mon!