Blistered Kale and Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad- for cancer prevention and treatment
You have probably heard all of the cancer fighting and prevention benefits that cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and kale have. The delicate part about using these amazing vegetables to heal ailments like cancer, IBS, Crohn’s, or colitis is that it can be really abrasive to the colon. Abrasive in a good way for a healthy patient but very destructive for someone going through chemo or during an episode of inflammation or ulcers.
In general I always try to “cook” these vegetables just slightly when I want to eat them raw. Now I don’t mean steaming or boiling. I use 2 techniques in this salad to quickly cook these veggies.
*This being said, if you in the middle of chemo or and episode you still need to avoid these rough veggies until you reach remission.
Cooking Method 1
Massage with salt and an acid– salt and an acid like vinegar or citrus actually “cook” food! Think of pickles or ceviche, the texture and composition goes from raw to completely cooked depending on how long it sits. The salt and acid work together to break down the cell walls similarly to applying heat to food. I apply a vinaigrette to the brussels sprouts an massage it in. You will see after 10-20 seconds that the leaves begin to soften as they loose that tough crispness.
Cooking Method 2
Blistering– On a hot sauté pan, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil and throw on the kale. It immediately starts to snap crackle and pop! Very exciting/ could be scary if the leaves are wet! Blistering the kale gives this salad a chard, nutty, umami flavor while again, beginning that process of softening the cell walls so you body has to do less work when it reaches your colon.
The method of cooking food was vital to our evolution since man discovered fire. It allowed us to break down those cell walls which allowed for greater nutrition absorption. However, there is also a need to balance the amount of cooked foods with raw foods; especially vegetables. Water soluble vitamins can be lost in the cooking process- hence the green water left behind after you steam spinach. But again, with these cruciferous veggies, I like to cook them briefly to start the process of digestion so it isn’t too abrasive on the colon.
Blistered Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Blistered Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
The perfect salad as we transition from winter to spring.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan or Dino Kale, ribbed
- 1/4 lb brussel sprouts, shaved
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- pinch of Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- With a sharp knife, mandolin, or slicing attachment on a food processor, thinly slice each brussels sprout so they fall into ribbons and place in a bowl. In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, ACV, mustard, EVOO, and s/p. Pour over sprouts and massage for 30secs-1min.
- While the sprouts sit, de-rib the kale from the stems. Heat a large sauté pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. When pan is hot, toss on the kale and listen to it snap, crackle, and pop. Try to resist moving it, allowing the kale to char. Flip after kale has little char marks and repeat on the other side. Then remove. This process should take no longer than about 2 mins.
- Roughly chop the kale and throw it in with the sprouts. Toss together and plate!
If you enjoyed this recipe I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below and be sure to share with family and friends.
xoxo
Megan
Ancient Wisdom in a Modern world 