Superfoods are foods that pack a particular nutritional punch, either because they’re high in nutrients we typically don’t get enough of in our diets, or because they’re particularly nutritionally dense and confer some kind of health benefit. Today I want to introduce you to one of my favorite superfoods: sea vegetables.
Sea vegetables – yes, I’m talking about seaweed – are particularly high in vitamins, minerals (in particular iodine and calcium), fibre, and potent anti-oxidants. They make food taste good (add them to soups, stews, salads, even a pot of rice as its cooking instead of salt to add a natural salty flavor), they help make beans more digestible (add a stick of kombu to the pot when you’re cooking dried beans like garbanzos, pinto, black, etc), and their impressive nutritional profile will increase the nutritional density of any meal.
But most of us have no idea what to do with sea vegetables. It’s easy for me to say “add them to soup, stews, salads…” etc but what does that really mean?
Well, here’s a really simple and tasty salad that will give you a nice gentle introduction to using one of my favorites, arame. You’ll find arame in your local Asian market, or in the asian or macrobiotics section of your Whole Foods, health food store, or co-op.
Ingredients:
- 1 big bunch kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped
- 1/4 cup dried arame, soaked in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes, and drained
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons tamari wheat free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions:
Put the arame in a big bowl of water and set aside to soak as you prepare the rest of the salad.
In a large frying pan, heat a small amount of water (about 1/2 cup) on the bottom over medium heat, and add the chopped kale. Cover, and let steam for 2-3 minutes, until bright green. Drain in a colander and set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine sesame oil, tamari, and lemon juice. Add the steamed kale and toss. Drain the arame, and add to the salad, mixing well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
You can eat this salad while it’s still warm, or chill it in the refrigerator and eat cold.
