I love Kale, it is by far one of my favorite foods on the Planet as well as being one of the healthiest foods on the Planet. I love it as a pesto, I love it as a juice, I love it sautéed with garlic and olive oil and I especially love it in my favorite salad.

Kale is high in Vitamin A, C and K. It is also hailed for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities which have been known to work together to prevent cancer. It is also high in fiber, lowers one’s cholesterol, and helps with the body’s detoxification process.

YOU WILL NEED

• A BIG Bunch of Organic Lacinto Kale,
• A handful of Organic Pine Nuts,
• A handful of Organic Sultanas (Raisins),
• Parmesan Cheese if you eat dairy, if not I use Brewers Yeast,
• Sea Salt (amount used is up to you).

FOR THE DRESSING

• 1/3 of a cup of Olive Oil,
• One whole Organic Lemon juiced,
• 6 Crushed Organic Garlic cloves,
• Pepper
• 1/4 of a cup of Red Wine Vinegar,
• 2 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice – Agave, Honey or Maple Syrup.

THE RECIPE

• Combine all ingredients for the dressing, and thoroughly whisk until it looks creamy. Set aside.

• Cut the kale into fine ribbon pieces and place in bowl.
• You then need to salt the kale by sprinkling through and massaging in. This is important, as it will marinate the kale so it becomes tender. The longer you can leave the kale in the salt the softer it will be (20 minutes at least).
• Pan fry the pine nuts on a low heat until they are slightly crispy, this usually only takes a few minutes.
• Mix in the Sultanas and Pine Nuts with the kale and mix well.

• Add dressing, making sure it is evenly distributed.
• Add either shaved Parmesan cheese or Brewers Yeast as garnish.

• Serve, Eat and quickly realize you did not make enough kale and you are going to have to start all over again.

There is NEVER enough of this to go around, and I could honestly eat it every day.

It is said that people either LOVE or HATE lima beans, also known as butter beans. I am definitely a lover of lima beans. They are a great source of protein and high in calcium and manganese which helps to maintain healthy strong bones. They give you energy, are high in iron (another plus if you do not eat meat), are low in calories and almost fat-free. Want more inspiration? Butter beans are high in fiber and bind with the bile acids in ones’s body thus lowering your cholesterol, which happens when the two leave together exiting the body. Lima Beans also help keep you regular by aiding your digestive tract.

Besides all of this, you can make really yummy dishes with Lima Beans like this recipe I am highlighting here – Lima Beans with Olive Oil, Rosemary, Sage and dried chillies. It does take a few hours to make and there are a few different steps, but is fairly easy and generously serves 4 adults. It will also stay in the fridge for a few days with no worries at all. If you find it dries out you can add some olive oil on top before serving.

WHAT YOU NEED

• 2 Cups of Dried Organic Lima Beans
• 3 Cups of Organic Vegetable Stock (I used Nature’s Promise)
• A bunch of organic garlic cloves (I used around 15)
• A big bunch of Organic Sage (which I took from our garden)
• A big bunch of Organic Sage (which I took from our garden)
• 4 Long Dried Chillies
• Quarter of a Cup of Organic Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• A pot that you can put in the over to cook (we use Le Creuset cooking equipment in our house)

RECIPE

• First of all soak the Lima Beans, doing this will help to remove indigestible sugars that can cause flatulence. To do this, place the raw Lima Beans in pot generously covered with water and let the beans boil for 10 minutes
• Remove from heat and let the beans sit in the water for around an hour, making sure they are entirely covered in liquid
• Once an hour has passed, drain in colander and rinse in cold water
• Preheat your over to 350F
• Put beans back in pot and cover with vegetable stock, return to flame and high simmer for 30 minutes
• Remove pot from heat
• Add all ingredients besides the salt, stir and place in oven. If you do not have a lid that is suitable to go into an oven aluminium foil works just as well
• Cook for one hour
• Add salt at the end if you feel the need
• Presto, you just made some melt-in-your-mouth beans. Give yourself a pat on the back!

Please feel free to add comments or questions to the bottom of this post, I would LOVE to hear from you!