Kale Salad

A few days ago my friend Dina and I were hanging out at her place, and the power happened to go out. So for dinner we made a kale salad, and to be honest I had forgotten how such simple ingredients can have such great results. Kale, cucumbers, tomatos, and onions, when tossed together with olive oil and Apple Cider vinegar lead to amazing results! Kale can be one of those vegetables that doesn't look the most enticing to eat raw, but massaging it in dressing for a couple minutes helps break it down so it's a bit easier to chew.

Kale's absolutely one of my favorite vegetables. It's a nutritional superstar, unusually high in fiber, and the bulk helps fill you up for few calories. It's a fantastic source of beta-carotene, has loads of antioxidants, and can help battle cancer and heart disease. It's also a great vegan source of absorbable calcium, and contains vitamin C, folic acid, B6, manganese, and potassium.

This recipe is super flexible and you can add whatever veggies you have or want. Lemon or lime juice is a good sub for the vinegar if you prefer, and you can try playing around with different types of oils for a different taste(Macadamia nut oil and lime juice is one of my favorite combinations).

Kale Salad

2 cups (packed) kale, chopped into smaller pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tsp steak seasoning
pepper to taste

Tomatoes
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Onion

Put the kale into a large bowl, then drizzle in olive oil, ACV, salt and pepper. Massage for about 5 minutes(or until kale wilts).

Toss with tomatoes, cucumber, and any additional veggies you like!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Yesterday was arm day at the gym, and it killed. Plus there was no one in the gym, which was lovely.
It went something like this:

1 mile bike warmup
Lying down chest fly 10x15 15x15 20x15
Overhead tricep dip 10x15 10x20 10x25
DB bench press 10x15 15x15 20x15
Tricep kickbacks 10x15 10x15 15x15
Bent over fly 10x15 15x15 20x15
Machine chest fly 10x30 10x40 10x40
Machine chest press 10x30 10x40 10x30
Bench dips with legs straight out 15 15 15
30 mins HIIT workout

Today my arms are dying! I was feeling inspired yesterday so I went for an 8k run along the water cause it was so nice out, and I'd spent most of the day on the computer reading the Fundamentals section for IIN, so I was getting antsy. The only problem with me going for evening runs is that it makes it so hard for me to go to bed after!




I hated Brussels Sprouts for the longest time. It was completely unfounded, I just refused to try them. This changed about 2 years ago when I finally gave them a try, and I'm in love. Roasting them is my favorite way, so they're a little crispy and crunchy but soft too. I could eat them all day! This is so simple I'd hardly call it a recipe, but it's what I do to pretty much all veggies when I'm going to roast them. You could do this with broccoli, cauliflower, yams, whatever.

I use coconut oil because of it's high smoke point. Olive oil has an extremely low smoke point(the point at which the oil starts decomposing, as well as the antioxidants), and when this happens it starts to release free radicals which are carcinogenic. While olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which help with improvement in cholestrol, blood pressure, and diabetes it is best left for finishing dishes, or used in dressings. Other oils that are good for cooking are sunflower, almond, avocado, and grapeseed.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free

2 cups brussels sprouts, halved or quartered
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch of parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper

Toss ingredients in a pan large enough for them to lay flat in, roast at 400 for 12-15 minutes, check frequently towards end to make sure they don't burn!