I was never raised on green bean casserole around the holidays. However in my adult life, I found a delicious recipe full of sour cream and mozzarella cheese. This will be the first year I will be making my creamed kale in lieu of the green bean casserole. Wish me luck, but I'm confident this will be a winning replacement. It has this retro steakhouse feel to it with a hippy-crunchy vibe. Its rich, creamy, decadent, and of course, FULL of healing nutrients!
This recipe was inspired by my very favorite food blogger, The Detoxinista. You can find her original recipe here. Its to her credit that this recipe is so amazing. Her sauce is just...legendary. Honestly, all her recipes are fantastic. Go check her out!
Kale contains incredible healing and rejuvenating properties. Kale is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins A, C, E, K, B-complex and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and potassium. Kale is an anti-cancer powerhouse and contains phytochemicals such as glucosinolates that help protect the body from breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, and bladder cancer.
These glucosinolates are also known to detox the body on genetic level and have the ability to literally transform your body and health. Kale also contains an exceptionally high amount of antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids which are essential for protecting the body from degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, prostatitis, osteoporosis, and neurological disorders.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for at least 1 hour
3 large bunches of fresh kale, washed, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups of water
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Place the chopped kale in a large bowl and massage firmly with your hands. By doing this, you are helping the kale break down and cook more quickly.
Heat a large, deep pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the kale and stir to properly combine. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or once the kale begins to wilt and begins to darken.
While the kale cooks, drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender. Add water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and nutmeg. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, 45 seconds to a minute.
Stir the cashew cream into the kale mixture in the pot. Add some fresh cracked pepper, stir to combine and heat up the cashew sauce. Remove from heat. Serve immediately. You can make this dish up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat.