A True Shamrock Shake!

Ok, this post isn't really about St. Patrick's Day or about that sinfully delicious milkshake that many consume to celebrate it (the McDonald's one, not beer). In all honesty, I am not a huge fan of St. Patrick's Day (the U.S. version), I think it's kind of insane that people can justify destroying their bodies with that much alcohol. If you are with me, perhaps you will enjoy my shaped-up shamrock shake made with kale and frozen bananas. Frozen bananas take on a strikingly similar texture and mouthfeel (love that word!) to ice cream when blended. Kale is a true superfood! I have been feeling pretty run down lately so I picked up a box of pre-washed, pre-cut organic kale leaves at Whole Foods and have been making good use of it all week! This morning I made this delicious kale "shake" with raw kale and a veggie frittata with some cooked kale tossed in there too! The 2 cups of kale in the smoothie alone contain a powerhouse (another great word!) of vitamins and nutrients, including 200% of your DV of Vitamin A, over 250% of your DV of Vitamin C, 22% of your DV of Calcium, 15% of your DV of Iron, and over 1500% of your DV of Vitamin K! Not to mention being a good source of B6 and Magnesium and a bunch of other stuff… woohoo! I’m on a vitamin high! Maybe it's just the kale talking, but lately I've been thinking kale would be a great name for my first born child! Ok...I'm gonna go lie down now, I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did today. Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was too busy getting creative in the kitchen :)

Kale Shamrock Shake
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 cups chopped, washed kale

1 frozen banana

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage

3-4 drops liquid stevia (or any other liquid sweetener), if desired

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth, stopping the blender periodically to stir if necessary. Add sweetener to taste.

Kale and Veggie Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 whole eggs

3 egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Canola Oil

Salt and pepper

2 cups chopped kale

2 cups chopped veggies (I used 8 crimini mushrooms, 1/2 red bell pepper, and a few florets of broccoli)

1/2 small onion, diced

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Handful chopped herbs (I used basil, parsley, and cilantro)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over Medium-Low heat. Add onion and shallots and saute until tender. Add mushrooms, saute a few minutes, then add rest of veggies and kale. Saute a few minutes until tender, then add garlic. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to taste (Don't actually taste it, that would be dumb on account of the raw eggs :P, as an alternative you may try using 12 oz silken tofu instead of the eggs, I think that would be delish in here too!). Remove iron skillet from heat and stir in egg mixture. Put entire pan in oven and cook for 35-40 minutes until frittata has set. Cut into four wedges and enjoy!