This evening I made a batch of my beloved Savoy Cabbage-Tomato-Almond Butter Chopped Salad and decided to make a kissing cousin with Kale. And between the two of them, I gorged my fill, with nothing but a fork as a side dish. No chips, no Ezekiel bread, just the two salads, a big bowl of the cabbage salad and a small dish of this wonderfully rich Kale-Red Pepper-Almond Butter salad. I was in heaven.

And honestly, these salads are so flavorful and filling, you can’t over-eat them. They just satisfy so thoroughly.

This salad, like all my other savory chopped salads, will be great as a “salsa” or dip to go with chips, or as a filling for a raw wrap or a “rawish” salad sandwich. And, again like the Savoy cabbage salad, the kale is structured enough that you can make a nice large batch and still be able to enjoy it the day after tomorrow without it degenerating into a wilted, sloppy mess! To me, this is a huge virtue because you can keep good things in your fridge that you can reach for when you’re starving and have been too on-the-go to keep up with kitchen duty.

Make both of these lovelies… frequently… for yourself or for guests or parties… and enjoy!

Suggested options:

Add chopped raw mushrooms, of any kind (YUM).

Add chopped raw pecans, either as a garnish on the top (hello, raw potluck!) or to mix in. (Mushrooms AND pecans would be spectacular!)

Add chopped grape or cherry tomatoes.

And would be wonderful as a “sushi” filling for nori seaweed rolls!

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Upon recently making my first trip to Whole Foods in Tampa (oof — the bill!) I was Christmas-morning squealy-happy to find gorgeously white young coconuts tucked into a corner of the produce department, obviously just waiting for me to take them home. It had been ages since I”d come across any on my shopping forays and was tempted to grab the whole haul!

Instead, I made the conservative choice to start with just two. Little did I know this Coconut-Cherry-Goji LGS lay in wait, creatively speaking, or I would’ve bunged a few more in my bag!

Of course… all the more reason to return to Mecca!

I had a good giggle when I tried to get the first one open, though. I am temporarily ensconced with family here in Florida, without the regular conveniences of my own kitchen, and this kitchen — like most — was not equipped with the appropriate young-coconut-opening devices. So, I dug my machete out of my bedroom closet (purchased last year from Home Depot  in another young coconut-related adventure), took my quarry out onto the lanai, and let’er rip on the big white nut.

No go.

Eventually, I opened the coconut by taking a hammer and banging into the machete, which banged into the nut. I mean… this was not a graceful operation. But I did get it open. And realized I was going to have to take a trip to Target for the proper equipment for all future coconut recipes.

I hesitated to fork over $40 for the meat cleaver I wanted at Target, but… this smoothie persuaded me to splurge, and I”m so glad I did! Now, just 5 quick, easy whacks with the bottom edge of the cleaver and I”m in. Takes all of 60 seconds with a lovely, graceful edge. Which is more than I can say for the work of that machete. Clearly, I will not be taking that dull blade into the jungle with me!

DELICIOUS Live Green Smoothie… With Loads of Energy When You Need It

This smoothie on the other hand… a definite keeper, a new big-time fave. It’s creamy, with a mellow sweetness, and massively energizing. Seriously, if you’re an athlete or low on energy, this is a great recipe for you! And between the ridiculous healthfulness of the delicate young coconut, the coconut water, the kale, and the goji berries, this drink is awesome for  general immune system-boosting and overall vitality. Give to someone who’s been under the weather and they’ll thank you!

Just get a meat cleaver, first. And maybe a cherry-stoner. Which I have yet to find. William Sonoma, maybe? I’ll report back on that.

And for those of you who don’t care much for cherries (you know who you are…), use peaches or nectarines for this. Will turn out smashingly fabulous either way!

Click here for directions on How To Open A Young Coconut (The Safest Way Possible).

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If you’re a lover of savory fruit salads, here’s a good one, sweet with juicy pineapple, chewy with finely chopped kale, and pungent with both garlic and fresh ginger. A bit of fresh orange juice… and raw macadamia nuts to make a dense, almost mayonnaise-texture dressing… and this becomes an extremely versatile dish.

You can eat this straight, as a salad. You can use this as a salad sandwich filling. It makes a wonderful salsa-like dip for raw crackers or organic tortilla chips. And would be a colorful and unique side dish for a buffet or raw pot luck!

Not the best salad to munch before going out dancing, though.

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This milky dressing is light and nicely flavored with fresh garlic and olive oil to stand up to any ingredients you’d like to toss in. Paired very simply with fresh finely-chopped kale and hothouse cucumbers, anything would work in this dish: olive, red peppers, red onion, and pine nuts come to mind as great suggestions.

If you like to be able to make dishes that can sit in the fridge for a couple days, this is a good one. Keep it around for snacking and for quick salad sandwiches.

The dressing would also make a nice dipping sauce for fresh veggies!

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Redolent with garlic and slightly sweet with a bit of raw honey, with the antipasto flavorings of red peper and black olives, this salad will improve wonderfully if allowed to marinated. Great for a raw pot luck or a festive dinner table, and as an explosively flavorful filler for Salad Sandwiches!

This is the salad to make if you’ve been feeling physically (and spiritually) sluggish of late. It will zap your immune system into gear (hellooo… garlic!), get everything moving again (hellooo… kale!), and make you feel like you’re back in the game!

A Word On Olives

For this recipe, definitely use black olives, as they are black because they were ripe when picked, and maximally filled with nutrients. However don’t use regular store-bought black olives for this, as delicious as many of them may be around your grocery store’s “olive bar”. Even my faves, Kalamata olives (helloo… I’m Greek) have usually been cured using caustic white salt and cooked vinegar.

Instead, take the time to find a source for sun-cured olives — they are not hard to find on the Internet, and well worth the effort because olives are certainly one of the finest wonder-foods on the planet. Then, in your own kitchen, you can control what is added to the marinade for your olives — add quality cold-pressed olive oil, a great natural salt (everyone should know by now that I favor “himmy” salt), and a natural, unpasteurized vinegar, such as raw apple cider vinegar.

Why is it important not to use olives that have been cured with or marinated in white salt and pasteurized vinegars? Because they are caustic and acidifying to your system, while the natural, raw and un-denatured varieties have demonstrated healthful properties.

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Lately I’ve had quite a number of people mention interest in (and a slight bit of intimidation of) the Noble Kale, so I’ve put together another Live Green Smoothie with kale that’s kind of beginners.

Kale and pear… simple enough… it’s just the percentages that make the difference. In my Blendtec blender, this simple recipe whips up to a creamy, light, sweet, refreshing concoction and I imagine even kids would slurp down with glee.

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So, you’re one of the many, new to Live Green Smoothies, who are intimidated by kale? No worries… I understand. So I’ve put together this delicious recipe to help launch your love affair with this richly mineralized, gorgeously dark-green leaf that is beloved by so many raw food enthusiasts!

Sweet, luscious, refreshing… and it goes down far easier than the most ice-cold glass of spring water! Pick up a mango and some red grapes to make this simple LGS. After you drink a quart, you’re sure to feel its enlivening effects, and experience first-hand why it’s such a potent fave of so many.

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Feeling a bit run-down, surrounded by sneezers and coughers, or needing to compensate for nasty eating habits of late? Call in “The Immuzer”.

This salad is made with mineral-rich alkalizing kale, it’s doused in garlic (famed for ages for being able to knock pretty much anything unwanted out of your system) and finished off with some fresh lime juice for Vitamin C. Enjoying a big bowl of this is going to right a host of wrongs in your system and set you up for much better immunity for whatever comes your way.

And it tastes delicious. For all it’s simplicity, it’s explosively flavorful and refreshing. My oldest son Curran gobbled down nearly the whole recipe with dinner tonight, saying he wished there were more… and you know how those twenty-somethings can be about eating their greens.

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This Live Green Smoothie is exactly what I love so much about these delicious drinks — it’s simple, basic, and with the end product being so completely different from what you’d expect from the ingredients involved.

It’s not too sweet, but “just right”. It’s not too green, but “just right”. It’s the very essence of freshness. Make this one a staple in your life!

With my high-speed Blendtec blender, this smoothie has the consistency of a creamy latte (much to the delight of my 20-something Boyz, who guzzled the majority of this batch before I could grab seconds)!

Son #1's LGs whilst Facebooking.

Son #2's LGs whilst homeworking.

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Sometimes ya just want a bowl of greens without much fuss, and here’s one way to do’em up. This salad has the explosive flavors of lemon and fresh garlic in a traditional Greek dressing with oregano and cold-pressed olive oil, a flavor combination used in many Greek dishes.

Very lemony, this dressing has “wake-yourself-up” zest that’s sure to give you a nice “zing” by the time your meal is thru! Makes a great accompaniment to other dishes. Would made a great addition to a raw sandwich. And it will hold up nicely overnight or for a raw pot luck — no need to eat right away.

If you’re still a meat-eater that’s looking just to add-add-add as many live goodies to your diet as possible while still enjoying your carnivorous ways… this salad will be great with grilled chicken or a simple steak. (And I guarantee you’re not gonna hear that very often on the websites of most raw vegan enthusiasts.)

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Recipe for: Chopped Kale Salad “A La Grecque” (Greek-Style)

A Simple, No Fuss, Super-Quick Recipe

If you don’t care for strong lemony flavors, you can always start out with half the amount of lemon and take it from there.

Also, be careful with the oregano… it quickly becomes bitter if you use too much, or you have a rancid herb that’s hung out too long in your cupboard. Best: use fresh (three times the measurement for fresh herb as compared to dried).

• 4 cups of kale, chopped fine (leaves only, not the stem)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon quality natural salt, such as Himalayan Crystal salt
• 1 teaspoon raw cane sugar (or raw honey)
• freshly ground black pepper

Put kale into large bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients and whisk until well-combined. Pour over the greens and toss until very well-combined.

You’re good to go! Eat right away, or let marinate for a bit. Great for raw pot luck, as a side to other raw goodies, or as an accompaniment to a traditional cooked meal. [/private]