When I’m back home for the holidays, my diet seems to consist of a lot of overeating. I’m talking about full course meals, holiday desserts and indulgent sugary holiday drinks.
To satisfy my health craving, I’m opting for a light brunch featuring a very tart treat: a pomegranate kale salad and smoothie.
The colour of pomegranate is more than just festive – this antioxidant-filled fruit also has a lot health benefits. As well as being a source for vitamin A, E and C, pomegranates contain a type of polyunsaturated oil, called punicic acid, which helps with heart health.
Winter’s the perfect time to try out a kale salad and have your intake of a vegetable linked with anti-cancer health benefits. Kale, likewise, is a nutrient powerhouse, containing vitamin K, which is a powerful antioxidant found in other dark, leafy greens like spinach. The freshest kale will be firm and dark green.
Pomegranate and goat cheese kale salad
If there has ever been a more festive salad, I’d say this one comes pretty close. This salad brings together a lot of contrasting textures from the crunchy pomegranate arils and toasted pine nuts to the crumbly and slightly salty goat cheese. The colours of this dish, with green, red and white, also evoke the holiday spirit.
Serving size: four people
- Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of kale
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup of goat cheese
- ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts
- arils from ½ pomegranate
- kosher salt and grounded pepper
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, make the salad dressing by combining mustard, balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour dressing over thinly cut kale and toss to coat leaves evenly until leaves wilt slightly.
- Add pine nuts, pomegranate arils and cheese over top. Serve immediately.
This salad is best enjoyed right away, and it’s the perfect option for a light brunch. Feel free to add your favourite fresh vegetables to this salad like red peppers. Try substituting pine nuts for walnuts or add a handful of raisins.
Pomegranate kale smoothie
This single-serve smoothie combines the tart tastes of blueberries and pomegranates to make a tangy and sweet concoction. The sweet taste of the yogurt and fruit definitely help to mask the kale. This recipe is definitely a change from the classic orange juice served at brunch.
Serving: one 14 ounce drink for one person
- Ingredients:
- 1 cup of (frozen or fresh blueberries)
- ½ cup of vanilla yogurt
- ¼ cup of pomegranate juice
- Handful of kale
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions:
- To make pomegranate juice from scratch, extract arils from pomegranate and pulse using a food processor. Using a strainer, extract pomegranate juice. Discard empty arils and fruit flesh. Alternately, use store-bought pomegranate juice.
- Blend together pomegranate juice, yogurt, blueberries and kale.
- Taste and add more juice or yogurt, depending on preference.
- Garnish with arils and kale leaves.
These recipes take a minimum amount of prep time and are high in fiber and nutrients, while still being low in calories. Try kale and pomegranate for a healthy start to the holidays.
Recipes adapted from runningwithteezers.com and food52.com
Tags
blueberry, Brunch, healthy recipe, kale, pomegranate, salad, smoothie
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