Eat your greens—the versatile kale salad

Leftover salad that tastes even better the next day? Yes, it’s possible.

Enter the kale salad.

Fall Kale Salad: Fig-Balsamic Vinaigrette, Roasted Heirloom Winter Squash,  Pecans, Pomegranate, & Black Mission Figs

For many foodies, kale salad is “so last year,” but when it comes to your health this is not a recipe that should be taken out of rotation. 

In every serving (1 heaping cup) of the Fall Kale Salad recipe below, there is 4 days’ worth of vitamin A, nearly 3 days’ worth of vitamin C, 20% each of your daily calcium and iron, 7g each of daily protein and fiber needs, 377mg of omega-3’s, and nearly half a months’ worth of vitamin K! Kale is also a good source of B vitamins (including folate), magnesium, and potassium.

As is usually the case, the recipes I post are a product of what is in season locally (including what is growing in my yard) and what is leftover in my refrigerator or stocked in my pantry. Don’t give up on the recipe if you don’t have all of the ingredients or they are expensive in your area! Below the recipe is a long list of substitutions that you can use to tailor this recipe to your taste, the season, and the ingredients you already have (or easily have access to).

Happy cooking and healthy eating!

Fall Kale Salad*

Ingredients-Salad Base

1 bunch of curly kale (the type most commonly seen at the grocery store)

Approximately 1-1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (aged is best)

1-1/2 teaspoons fig jam, honey, or other sweetener

Approximately 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients-Toppings

1 cup cubed roasted or baked winter squash (acorn, butternut, or kabocha)

6-10 ripe figs, sliced or cubed

Arils of ½ medium pomegranate (see the Knife Skills #3: Pomegranates to see how to remove the arils from the fruit)

½ medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 -1/2 cup roasted, chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1.     Rinse kale and dry with a salad spinner or towel. Fold kale leaves in half so that the ribs are on one side and the curly part of the leaf is on the other; slice the ribs off with a knife and discard. Chop the leaves into roughly 1-2” square pieces and put into a large mixing bowl.

2.     Drizzle kale with the vinegar, sweetener, and oil. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, then “massage.” This means grab handfuls of the kale mixture, make a fist to crush the leaves in you hand, then release. Repeat until all leaves are glistening and the volume of kale in the bowl is reduced by 1/3-1/2. Add more salt and pepper midway through this process.

3.     Taste one of the pieces of kale and adjust with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper until you achieve a flavor that tastes good to you (i.e. if too acidic add more oil, if not acidic enough add more vinegar, if the flavor doesn’t stand out after that add a bit more salt and pepper). As with all salads, you should have enough dressing just to coat the leaves but not pool in the bottom of the bowl.

4.     Mix in toppings and serve.

Serves: 6 medium-sided or 4 large salads

Storage: This salad tastes great for 2 days after you make it, so make it ahead or make extra to take for lunch the following day.

*Alternative Kale Salad Ingredients

Below are substitutions that you can make to the salad recipe above to create different flavors or make use of other ingredients you have at home.

Alternative Ingredients

·      Substitute other greens for the curly kale, including:

o   Swiss chard, other types of kale, or shredded collard greens.

·      Substitute another acidic ingredient for the balsamic vinegar, including:

o   Lemon/lime or orange juice, or other vinegars.

·      Substitute another sweetener, including:

o   Agave, honey, different jam, brown sugar, maple syrup.

·      Add other ingredients to the salad base/dressing, including:

o   Dijon or whole grain mustard, tahini or nut butters, herbs, spices.

·      Substitute different toppings, including:

o   Other fruit (apples, pears, orange slices, mango, berries, dried cranberries or other dried fruit),

o   Other vegetables (shredded carrots, cucumbers, peppers, artichoke hearts, avocado, radishes, sprouts, scallions, shallots, red cabbage, fennel, roasted Brussels sprouts),

o   Other nuts or seeds (pine nuts, sesame seeds, shaved coconut, macadamia nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews).

·      Add other ingredients to the toppings:

o   Legumes/Beans (edamame or other beans),

o   Grated or shaved hard cheeses (parmesan, asiago) or crumbled feta,

o   Cooked whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, etc.),

o   Croutons, fried strips of tortillas or wontons.

Sweet Potato Greens—the undiscovered green (and cheap eat!)

Think spinach – but cheaper. Much cheaper. 

Sweet potato leaves as you might find them at a store or market*

At my local farmer’s market, I can get a full plastic grocery-sized bag of these sweet potato greens (which are literally just the green, above-ground part of the sweet potato plant) for $1.00.  When I compared the volume of plant-to-cost ratio of $2.99 per bunch spinach at Whole Foods, I would guess that I got 5 times the volume of plant. So, 5x $2.99= $14.95 at Whole Foods vs. $1 at my farmer's market.

That’s a savings of nearly $14 off the bat!

But wait, there’s more! For fully-grown adult spinach, you generally have to eat the leaves and either discard or separately cook the more fibrous stems to get something edible. The allure of spinach for most people is the leaves – a quick wilt in some olive oil, salt, and pepper—maybe some chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes with a squeeze of lemon at the end—and you’re done! Most people I know toss out the stems. They’re just not worth the extra effort to the non-foodie who’s not on a tight food budget.

Sweet potato greens are different. I took my kitchen shears and cut the stems midway. Basically, I cut off the largest, thickest part of the bottom of the stems, but left about 6 to 8-inches of stem attached to the leaves. I roughly chopped this (stems with leaves) and cooked as above for simple spinach. This is excellent with an over-medium egg (or sautéed tofu) and sprouted-grain toast for a complete and healthy breakfast.

What are SWEET POTATO GREENS?? Sweet potato greens are literally just the top of the sweet potato plant. The orange part in the picture is what you're used to seeing in a traditional market; it grows under the ground as a root. The greens that I talk about in this post are the green parts you see in this picture; they grow above ground. The greens are often discarded in the United States and most other countries who eat this prized tuber. In other places, like Thailand and Northeast China, they also eat the greens.

Sweet potato plant right after being pulled from the earth**

Taste is where it’s at!

The results were very similar. If you didn’t tell someone, they’d never know. By my palate, they have a little less bitterness than spinach. This is due to the lower oxalic acid content. Oxalic acid is compound found in many greens that contributes bitterness and inhibits calcium absorption. Bonus – get more of that calcium from the sweet potato greens! In a hearty portion, you’ll also get 3-4 grams of protein, some iron, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.

Price check in: You can chop and cook the thicker stems, just like adult spinach and have little to no waste.

Recipe Recommendations: Use anywhere you’d use spinach leaves

o   Salads

o   A couple of handfuls raw into smoothies

o   Spinach enchiladas

o   Pasta

o   Cooked first then added to wood-fired pizza

o   Simple Sautéed spinach

o   Palak recipes (Indian recipes using spinach)

o   Quiche

o   Soups

o   Wilted/Warm Spinach Salads

o   Casseroles

o   Spinach Dip

I ate my breakfast too quickly to take a pic! Another delicious sweet potato greens saute pic #

Wrap-up:

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why more people don’t eat these greens! Clearly, availability is a big issue in the United States, but we have plenty of sweet potatoes. All it would take to get greens more widely available would be for people to start asking for them at grocers and farmer’s markets. Who wouldn’t want to make money on something that they generally throw away?

Next time you’re at a farmer’s market or Asian market, look out for sweet potato greens, try something new, improve your health and save some $$!

*Photo credit: Thaifoodandtravel.com

**Photo credit: ces.ncsu.edu

#Photo credit:  www.greenthumbish.net

Average Americans Drink 300 Gallons of California Water Per Week

Americans eat an average of 3 1/2 California-grown walnuts per week = 7 gallons of H2O*

The New York Times published this piece yesterday:
Your Contribution to the California Drought. With stunning visuals it illustrates the amount of some foods grown in California that the average American eats each week. This includes ALL AMERICANS, not just Californians. It is a moving message about the interconnectedness of the food system and environment in California and EVERYONE in the United States. A must-read.

Americans eat an average of 1.75oz. of California-grown beef per week = 86 gallons of H2O*

*Photos from NYT link above

What does Earth Day have to do with the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

The following is an op-ed that I wrote that was published in Environmental Health News today--which seems appropriate since it is Earth Day.

If you read this and feel compelled, please follow the link at the end of the piece to submit a public comment to the USDA to consider as they finalize the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

No Water Left to Water Down the Dietary Guidelines

By Michelle Hauser

Environmental Health News

Controversies generated by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) recommendations raced through the media like wildfire. 

For the first time in history, the DGAC recommended that Americans consider the environmental impact of their food choices. Following this to its logical and scientifically-supported conclusion, the DGAC also recommended that Americans eat less meat. Not surprisingly, the meat industry finds this recommendation unpalatable and is sending a loud and clear message to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). They advocate that the dietary guidelines should focus on nutrition—focusing on the environmental impact of meat is a serious overreach and a recommendation that should be ignored.

It’s ultimately the decision of the USDA, along with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), whether or not the DGAC recommendations become the official 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This process is important because the Dietary Guidelines influence foods available for school lunch programs, WIC and SNAP benefits. They also have a major impact on Americans’ food choices and agricultural production.

The “eat less meat” message has been shot down or watered down since it appeared on the scene in 1977 as part of recommendations proposed by George McGovern’s Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs (a committee that predated the DGAC). After much outcry, the message was changed to, “choose meats, poultry, and fish that will reduce saturated fat intake.” Given the links of red and processed meats with heart disease and some cancers, “eat less meat” has continued to be part of the discussion when considering new dietary guidelines, but it has never gotten foothold.

The 2015 approach to the message of “eat less meat” is one of environmental sustainability. The DGAC report states, “access to sufficient, nutritious, and safe food is an essential element of food security for the US population. A sustainable diet ensures this access for both the current population and future generations.” It goes on to describe sustainable diets as higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods. The added benefit of such diets is that they are also healthier for us than current US dietary practices. These recommendations leave plenty of room for people to keep eating meat. They simply highlight the importance of considering the environmental impact of our food choices. This means focusing on sustainable meat production and cutting down, not cutting out meat.

We cannot continue disregarding the energy, land, and water use required to keep up our system of agriculture. This message was driven home recently when the snowpack in the Sierras was measured at a mere 5% of normal, causing Governor Jerry Brown to issue a mandatory 25% water reduction for the state of California. Nearly one-third of California depends on the snowpack for water—including some of the country’s most productive farmland in the Central Valley.

It is scary to contemplate the consequences of the unrelenting drought both on life in California, but also on the availability of food in the US. 

California produces nearly half the vegetables, fruit and nuts grown in the US. It also produces more dairy than any other state and ranks number four in cattle production. The cattle production is particularly environmentally intensive since an estimated 5-20 pounds of feed grain are required for every pound of edible beef.

It is irrational to think that our dietary guidelines can be created in a silo that ignores ripple effects on the environment. The drought is causing dire consequences for California right now, and these effects will soon spill over to the rest of the country if things don’t change soon. The resources needed to feed everyone are not unlimited. 

We do ourselves a great disservice by not planning our food choices according to these limitations. We will likely find ourselves limited by environmental factors—namely water—in the near future. However, if we haven’t put planning and forethought into how to deal with this, we will be forced to limit intake of environmentally-intense foods, like meat, but won’t have the benefit of  advanced planning on how to do so. 

Creating dietary guidelines that take the environmental impact of our food choices into account is required to make sure that we have plentiful and diverse food choices for generations to come.

There is a period open for the public comment about the DGAC recommendations and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. If you would like to submit a comment, the deadline is May 8.

Michelle Hauser, MD, MPA is a Chef, Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Stanford, and an Internal Medicine-Primary Care Physician in Redwood City, California.

The Potato Salad Flip: Healthy Potato Salad + a Quick Lunch On-the-Go

Potato Salad Flip: Mediterranean Veggie Potato Salad

An often repeated theme in my advice to eat healthy and well is to amp up the vegetables and decrease the carbs in a recipe. This decreases quickly-absorbed carbohydrates that cause fluctuations in blood sugar and lead to excess hunger. Replacing some of the carbs with fiber- and nutrient-rich vegetables also decreases total calories while making you feel full longer.

Using an oil-based dressing--such as a vinaigrette--also works with your body's hormones to help tell your brain that you are full. You do have to be careful when using oil-based dressings because, while they are healthy, they are high in calories. The trick to getting the most flavor without excess calories is to toss your salad with just enough vinaigrette to make the salad glisten, but not enough to pool in the bottom of the bowl.

Using herbs (basil is used in this recipe) helps add flavor without extra calories.

This recipe is called the "potato salad flip" because it replaces most of the potatoes with vegetables and the traditional mayonnaise-based dressing with a healthy vinaigrette. I love this recipe because it's easy to make any number of servings when you have limited time and keeps from breakfast until lunchtime at room temperature if needed. The recipe below is for a single, large serving.

Potato Salad Flip: Mediterranean Veggie Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 small waxy potato (red or yellow work best, avoid Russets), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 handful of broccoli florets
1 handful sliced zucchini
1 handful diced red bell pepper
1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
3 large basil leaves, rolled up and sliced thinly (this is called "chiffonade") or chopped
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-1/2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
5 olives of your choice
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Microwave (or boil) cubed potato until a fork can be inserted easily, but not mushy--about 3-4 minutes.
2. Microwave broccoli, zucchini and bell pepper 3 minutes in a bowl covered with a plate.
3. Toss together potatoes and cooked vegetables and allow to cool to room temperature. Alternatively, if you need to hurry, transfer the mixture to a cool container and place into the freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, basil, olive oil, vinegar, olives, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
5. Serve or pack in a container with securely sealing lid and take for a quick lunch on-the-go.

Makes: 1 serving

Hints:
--Make different variations by trying different vegetables, herbs and vinaigrettes.
--For additional protein, add a few cubes of smoked tofu, cheese or grilled chicken. If you do this, make sure to refrigerate the salad until shortly before ready to eat, however.