Tuscan Kale Salad, Shitake Mushrooms and Aged Parmesan Slices

tuscan kale salad with shitake mushrooms and parmesian slices

Kale is a leafy, dark green vegetable that is one of the healthiest out there. It is full of nutrients and flavor. Kale belongs to the same family as broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, and cauliflower. All of these vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, K and and A. Please note that if you are taking blood-thinning medicine (such as anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs), you should limit the amount of food that contain Vitamin K. Vitamin K can affect how these medicines work.

Kale is filling yet it is low in calories. Kale is a very nutrient-dense food that gives you the most nutrients for the fewest calories. Two cups (500 milliliters, mL) of raw kale have approximately 1 gram (g) each of fiber and protein for just 16 calories. Eating kale is a great way to get many nutrients in one small helping .

Kale can be eaten raw or cooked. In this recipe the kale is served raw with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Healthy Benefits of Recipe

Kale

Kale is among the healthiest foods we have. It is a cruciferous vegetable like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and Brussels sprouts and therefore is rich in Glucoraphanin which converts to sulforophane which has been shown to help prevent certain types of cancer. See Science behind broccoli sprouts

"...Kale is also rich in Vitamin A (important for eye and bone health and a strong immune system), vitamin C (aids in cold and chronic disease prevention), and vitamin K (good for blood clotting and bone building) Folate, a B vitamin that’s key for brain development Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (Although kale has far less omega-3 than fish, it’s another way to get some of this healthy fat into your diet.) Lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green color and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts Minerals including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc.." -- source WebMD on Kale

Shitake Mushrooms

Eritadenine --Significantly Lowers Cholesterol . Lentinan Anti-Tumor Properties. 3) Lenthionin --e Inhibits Platelet Aggregation-- Promising Treatment for Thrombosis

see: Health benefits of Shitake mushrooms for full information.

Aged Parmesean Cheese

Besides aged cheeses being rich in calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and vitamin K2, they contain the molecule spermidine which is a natural polyamine that stimulates cytoprotective macroautophagy/autophagy. Autophagy is the main mechanism of spermidine in delaying aging and prolonging the lifespan. see: Spermidine delays aging in humans. and Spermidine as a Senolytic and Anti-Aging Molecule

Ingredients and Method

Service for 4

1 Head Tuscan Kale
1/2 pound sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
Parmesan Cheese
1 T high quality Tuscan olive oil
Balsamic Dressing Recipe for 4

Method:

Wash and thinly slice the kale. Sauté the shiitake mushrooms in 1 T olive oil till nicely brown and slightly crunchy. Dry and reserve the mushrooms on a paper towel and set on a rack to remove excess oil . This will leave the mushrooms in a fresh crunchy state.

Thinly slice Parmesan cheese using a knife or truffle slicer. Prepare a balsamic vinegar to your taste. Combine ingredients as shown in photo.

For Balsamic Vinegar we recommend for this dish using a 50/50 ratio of Guiseppe Giusti "2 star label 'and Guiseppe guisti" 5 star (red stripe "). By combining the two you get an extremely rich flavor. Our ratio of oil to total vinegar in this combination is 4:1 (oil:vinegar)


Science of Cooking