Apple, Currants and Sunflower Seed Kale Salad

I love kale! I'm always trying to find new ways to incorporate kale into my diet. Kale is pumped with phytochemicals and antioxidants. 

Kale has a higher level of antioxidants than spinach.  These antioxidants along with many other benefits can prevent or slow the oxidative damage of our body.  They enhance the immune system and slow down the aging process.

Kale is also high in sulfur another cancer-fighting compound. When Kale is chopped, cooked or chewed, sulforaphane is formed from the sulfur. Sulforaphane helps the liver to stimulate detoxification and remove free radicals. 

 I had been running into the idea of Sulforaphane a lot lately and how it is beneficial in the fight against breast cancer.   Given its breast cancer awareness month - read this article!  That's my tip for the day-healing foods!


 
But this is a recipe that my aunt lisa always makes. It's freaking goood! Probably one of my top fav Kale recipes. 



The texture of kale is sometimes hard to get use to.  So another way to prepare kale is to massage it with salt. Salt draws moisture out of things, and salt alone is enough to soften the toughest of raw kale leaves. By massaging the kale with the salt it renders a softened texture which is easier to chew. Be sure to only use the 1 tsp of salt I wouldn't recommend much more than that. 

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of kale
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 small light red apple diced
• 1/3 + cup currants
• 1/3 + cup sunflower seeds
• small package of Raw Gorgonzola Cheese- broken into chunks - The raw Gorgonzola I found at whole foods is pretty salty tasting- I ended up going with an organic Gorgonzola instead bc this salad is already salty
• 2 tablespoons apple cider viniger
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp of salt

Directions

De-stem kale by pulling leaves away from the stems. Wash leaves, spin or pat dry. Slice kale  into ribbons. Put kale in a large mixing bowl and add salt. Massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 minutes.

To toast sunflower seeds, put in a dry skillet over low to medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes until they change color and give off a nutty aroma.

Stir onion, currants, apple and toasted seeds into kale. Dress with oil and vinegar and add the Gorgonzola. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary.  This salad will keep for several days and still be great!