Kale, kale, oh how I love thee! This superfood is a staple in my kitchen! Containing a high dose of calcium, magnesium, vitamin A & C, Kale is truly a powerhouse green. Simply sauteed with garlic and toasted sesame oil as a side, or thrown into a smoothie with pineapple and avocado, this is a versatile green that you can’t skimp out on! Today’s recipe is one of my fav’s from Vegetarian Times magazine. It’s loaded with delicious plant based protein and fiber from chickpeas and takes on a refreshing kick with a pineapple salsa. Hope you enjoy!

Rice and Chickpea Kale Rolls w/ Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 12 large Lacinato kale leaves

SALSA

• 1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained OR chopped fresh pineapple which I much rather prefer!
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh mint or cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbs. grated lime zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. sugar or agave nectar

To make Kale Rolls:

Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add chickpeas, broth, rice, cumin, paprika, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Cool. Trim thick stems from center of kale leaves. Place 1 large or 2 small overlapping kale leaves on work surface with tip away from you. Pull together cut edges where stem was removed to overlap. Spoon 2 Tbs. chickpea mixture in center of bottom of leaf. Fold in sides, and roll up leaf to tip. Repeat with remaining kale and filling.

To make Salsa: Stir together all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve Kale Rolls with Salsa.

Banana “Ice Cream!” (recipe adapted from Annabelle Waugh)
Nothing else added! Just potassium rich, naturally sweet bananas! This is a great way to cut calories (if your into that sorta thing, cause I sure ain’t) or just need a hit of something sweet. You will love how simple this recipe is! Enjoy!

• Slice 3-4 bananas no thicker than 1/4-inch thick. (They can be just-ripe or overripe. It doesn’t matter. Slightly firmer bananas give a whiter, creamier, more flavour-neutral effect. Riper ones will yield a deeper banana-ey flavour.)
• Freeze in a single layer on a tray lined with plastic wrap, waxed paper or parchment paper — or in one layer in a resealable freezer bag, laid flat — until solid, at least 6 hours. (I usually freeze them overnight.)
• Transfer to food processor.
• Add 1-2 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
• Whirl until creamy.

OK this last step needs some explanation….
When you process the bananas, they’ll first go sort of granular, then you’ll start to notice it going a bit creamy near the edges. Once this happens, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to blend, scrape, blend, scrape, etc. until the whole thing is a smooth, silky, creamy, moussey dream. This whole process should take 3 to 4 minutes.

One word of warning: don’t try this in a blender. I tried it and it didn’t turn out right. Much better in a food processor!
Variations: You can switch up the flavour by adding another fruit, just as long as at least half of the mixture is banana. Strawberry-banana is deelish!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂