Right out of high school I wanted to get a second job to save up for hair school. I took a full-time job at this SUPER cute café in my hometown and every morning I would prep sandwiches, wraps and salads for our busy lunch rush. One of my favourite salads that we made came from a Company’s Coming cookbook: A delicious apple and brie salad with a creamy sweet dijon dressing. I only worked at the café for six months before moving out of town, but I continued to make this salad for a couple years. Over time however, I realized it wasn’t as nutrient-dense as I needed it to be to fuel my body and brain. Made with iceberg lettuce, heavy cream, and white sugar – it just didn’t fit my clean eating style anymore.
This winter I decided to try out this salad again, but to swap out the less nutrient-dense ingredients for some brain nourishing ones instead. And it turned out amazing! You can serve this as a side dish or top it with a protein such as chickpeas or chicken breast to make it a whole meal.
Winter Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup goat kefir (or coconut kefir for plant-based)
- 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
- Sea salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch of kale, about 4-5 stalks
- ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1-2 handfuls of microgreens
- 2 small-medium apples, I used granny smith
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4oz goat brie (or nut brie for plant-based)
- ½ cup raw walnuts
Instructions
- Turnip the Beet. Put on your favourite playlist & have a 2-minute kitchen dance party.
- Add all dressing ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.
- Remove kale leaves from the stems, chop into bite-sized pieces and add to a large bowl. Add extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt and massage leaves* till soft and darkened, about a minute. Toss in 1-2 handfuls of microgreens.
- Core both apples and chop all except half of one. Thinly slice the last half for garnish. Toss the cut apple in lemon juice to keep from browning.
- Cut brie into ½ inch pieces and roughly chop walnuts.
- Toss the greens, chopped apples, brie, and walnuts together and add to a salad bowl.
- Garnish with sliced apples and serve with dressing on the side.
Notes
*Massaging your kale helps break down the tough cell structure making it easier to digest. It also gives it a softer texture and a more delicate flavour! If you’re not used to eating kale, try it thinly sliced instead of chopped or swap it out for spinach or another leafy green.
Tuning in: brain nourishing ingredients
Kefir:
Contains probiotics, increasing the good bacteria in the gut. Studies have shown that increasing dietary sources of probiotics can lead to brains that are less stressed and less depressed.
Adding in fermented foods like kefir has been associated with less social anxiety.
Kale:
This nutrient dense superfood contains one of the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals per calories it gives!
Kale is high in the mineral magnesium – known as the “calming” mineral. Magnesium helps regulate your neurotransmitters & may help reduce anxious symptoms and improve sleep.
Kale is also an excellent source of fibre and vitamins C, K & E – all valuable for your brain and bod.
Microgreens:
Microgreens are PACKED with nutrients. Although the amounts will vary depending which variety you have, microgreens typically are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc
The nutrient content in microgreens is concentrated, meaning the levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are higher than mature greens. One study comparing the two measured some nutrient levels to be up to 40 times higher in microgreens.
Walnuts:
The omega-3’s in walnuts help lower inflammatory markers protecting neurons from inflammation.
They are high in dietary fibre which, when broken down in our guts, increases the growth of the good bacteria and nourishes the pathways from gut to brain.
Walnuts may also help regulate your body’s natural sleep cycle as they contain melatonin!