Kale with Sweet Potatoes and Pecans
If there’s a safe haven in the vegetable kingdom, it’s sweet potatoes. In fact, I bet that if every kid’s introduction to veggies were a sweet potato, it would knock down parental stress over healthy eating by at least 50 percent. I mean, what’s not to love? Sweet taste, beautiful color, and fantastic nutrition, not to mention a creamy texture that allows you to introduce chopped greens in a nonthreatening manner. Here, I’ve added kale, which has some outstanding anticancer properties, and ginger, which aids digestion, for a little zip.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the sweet potato, cinnamon, and broth and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the kale, salt, and raisins and sauté until the kale is a darker shade of green and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup, then do a FASS check and add another pinch of salt if desired.
Step 2
Serve garnished with the ground pecans.
variation
Step 3
The ground pecans have the same texture as a sprinkling of finely grated cheese. If you’d like something more crunchy, place 1/4 cup of pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned. Chop coarsely before sprinkling on this beautiful dish.
storage
Step 4
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
nutrition information
Step 5
(per serving)
Step 6
Calories: 160
Step 7
Total Fat: 10.1g (1.3g saturated, 6.6g monounsaturated)
Step 8
Carbohydrates: 17g
Step 9
Protein: 3g
Step 10
Fiber: 3g
Step 11
Sodium: 200mg
CULINARY RX
Step 12
Kale is like a twenty-four-hour pharmacy unto itself. It possesses a variety of phytochemicals that attack different cancers. In one large study, women who ate diets rich in kaempferol (found in kale and other green vegetables such as broccoli, leeks, and spinach) were 40 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer. Kale has similar effects on the development of bladder and breast cancers. Kale is also rich in numerous antioxidants that promote immune system wellness.
