Minty Kale Salad — The Diva Dish

Things are getting a little silly around here :)

You may notice things look a little different/a little off.

No need to worry, The Diva-Dish is getting a MUCH needed pampered makeover.

Within the next 24 hours, things are going to be looking a little classier...So please bare with the craziness, and the randomness :)

But I promise, you will love it!

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Way back when, salads were my go to kind of food.

I thought it was the 'healthiest' thing to order on the menu at restaurants, and would gladly down a cup of ranch dressing to go along side that.

Oh..

And if the restaurant had bread, you can guarantee that I dipped my bread into my gallon of ranch, all the while using that bread to lick my nutritious delicious salad plate clean.

Now hold on a second, because I'm not saying eating a salad with ranch and bread is sending you straight to the 'worlds unhealthiest eater' prison. If that's your favorite kind of salad, then by all means dip and lick away. Living every once in a while, and eating our favorite foods in moderation (deep rich chocolate cake anyone?) will keep us sane..trust me. You wouldn't want to know me if chocolate wasn't allowed in my life.

But I believe that there are 'better' ways to enjoy the foods we love.

We can up the nutrients, the fiber, the vitamins, the protein, and everything else if we play around with recipes to have them include beneficial ingredients that will help our bodies stay strong and healthy.

With that being said, let me introduce you to,

Minty Kale Salad

*Kale Greens are a great alternative to regular lettuce and even Spinach. It has an amazing source of Fiber, Antioxidants, Vitamins K, A, and C, and aids in Digestion. For best taste results, remove stems from leaves, because the stems are the bitter part of the Kale Plant.*

Ingredients:

Creamy Mint Dressing: Recipe from OhSheGlows

1/4 C. Coconut Milk

1/2 C. Mint Leaves

1 TB. EVOO

3 TB. Lime Juice

2 Tsp. Agave Nectar

salt, pepper

1/2 tsp. Arrowroot powder for thickening (optional)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 Large Bunch of Kale (Read * above for health benefits)

Tomatoes (Great source of Lycopene, which aids in fighting cancer, and Vitamin C)

Avocados (Fight cancer, lower cholesterol, regulate blood pressure)

Garbanzo Beans (Great Sources of Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber, and Protein)

Peaches (Great source of Beta Carotene which helps with eye and heart health. High fiber and high potassium)

Pecans (Heart healthy, natural antioxidants, lower cholesterol, aids w/ weight control, nutrient dense)

Goat Cheese (Easier to digest than cows milk, metabolism boosting, high in protein and calcium, nutrient dense)

(Everything optional, so add what ever you like on salads. If you a non-vegetarian, feel free to add maybe a lemon chicken. If your a vegetarian stick with the garbanzo beans and pecans for the protein, and if your a vegan, opt out on the goat cheese)

Directions:

1. Make the salad dressing by blending all ingredients in a blender and set aside. Gather Kale bunch and pick off leaves, and discard the stems. Put the leaves in a bowl and drizzle with desired dressing. Massage dressing into Kale Salad until FULLY coated. Let sit while preparing additional ingredients.

2. Once ready, throw additional ingredients on top. Sprinkle with coconut if feeling spontaneous.

3. Dig in!

I think I will be purchasing mint on a regular basis, because this was seriously the most refreshing salad I have ever had. It reminded me of summer!

And I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my extra mint leaves when I woke up this morning..

That was until I found this:

I don't even have a green thumb for pre-grown foods bought from the grocery store..

Just pitiful.

Oh well, it definitely didn't stop me from continuing on with what I had in mind :)

Minty Green Drink

Ingredients:

1 Cup Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Coconut Water

1 Heaping Cup Spinach

1 Heaping Cup Kale (no stems)

1/4 Cup Dead Mint Leaves

1/3 C. Frozen Cherries

1/3 C. Frozen Blueberries

1 small frozen banana

1 TB. Chia Seeds

1 TB. Walnuts

1 TB. Vanilla

Ice

Directions:

1. Blend till Creamy and Serve

Thanks again for your patience with the blog change.

I know that things can get a little silly and out of hand around here some times, but I appreciate those that visit often and continue to support this journey on living life the healthy way :)

Or maybe...You just keep coming back because you want to see more of this little Chickpea:

That's ok :)

It's completely healthy!