Warm Kale and Tempeh Salad

The people at my work are great. And they think that I am great, too, which makes me feel awesome about myself and the way I live.

For instance, there were multiple times in the breakroom during lunch where a few of my coworkers noticed the way I eat as opposed to everyone else in the room. Where was my bag of Cheetos? Why was I not eating the sugar-laden pastries that the cafeteria sells? My usual snacks are fresh fruit and my meals are just as clean.

In summary, my coworkers look up to me and think it's great that I take care of myself. It feels awesome to inspire people around me! This salad is just one of the meals that I brought to work:

Loaded with protein, healthy fats, and tons of vitamins and minerals, this small but mighty salad kept me through the work day with energy to spare. This extremely simple but delicious recipe is an original from yours truly.

Warm Kale and Tempeh Salad
serves two

tablespoon olive oil
small bunch of kale (about 3 cups), finely torn
3 ounces plain tempeh
ounce of raw almonds (23 kernels), chopped
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tablespoon of flax oil

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the shredded kale until it wilts, about five minutes, being careful to not burn. Add in the tempeh and cook until warmed through, about three minutes.
2. Toss in the chopped almonds, stir, and cover for about two minutes or until the almonds soften a bit. Season with ground black pepper to taste.
3. Serve warm, tossed with flax oil and a little more black pepper. Great with a freshly sliced orange or strawberries on the side.

I wonder if my coworkers would like a bite..?

This salad has a nice variety of textures: chewy, crunchy, soft, and leafy! So far, it's my go-to kale recipe. Yum, yum.

Nutrition Facts per Serving
Calories: 312
Fat: 22.3g
Carbs: 18.9g
Protein: 14.3g
Fiber: 7.2g
Sugar: 0.7g
Sodium: 48.4mg
Calcium: 200.9mg

This salad is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, copper, manganese, and potassium as well as omega-3 fats from the flax oil. Like I suggested in the recipe, I think this salad would go wonderfully with your choice of tart fruit on the side. The salad itself is quite savory and the fruit would definitely balance out the flavors.

Below are my latest reasons to be thankful.
Reason #34: I'm thankful for electric guitars.
A few weeks ago on reason #8 I was thankful for acoustic guitars... lately I've been getting my hands on my electric ones. I've been stuck in a skill rut for years and finally I'm learning the ways of harder rock and metal. Aw, yeah. Being a better badass rhythm guitarist is on my bucket list.

Reason #35: I'm thankful for Netflix.
I proudly do not pay for cable, although I would love to sit on my butt and watch dramatic cooking shows on Food Network. Instead, Rick and I pay for Netflix and it's great because you watch what you want when you want to instead of mindlessly flipping through channels on cable TV.

Reason #36: I'm thankful for raw foods.
Mmk, so I'm almost nowhere near being a raw foodist but I love eating raw whenever I can; I just feel spectacular when I do. Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to get all the raw I can get!

Reason #37: I'm thankful for the ability of self-expression.
Whether it's writing a song, jotting down a poem, playing music, getting into photography, or even sketching, I love expressing myself especially through a form of art.

Reason #38: I'm thankful for cats!
If you're starting to think I'm one of those internet people, well... I totally am. Click here to see the cute cats that Rick and I rescued last year.

Reason #38: I'm thankful for natural light.
If the sun's up and bright then I'm not using a light switch; it's open window blinds and curtains for me! It saves us money on the electric bill and is downright beautiful. I love reading books to the sunlight. So relaxing.

All righty then, I am up super late right now so it's time for some rest. Until next time.