Detox Kale Salad

January brings to mind one, of many, things: detox.  After the holidays it's easy to feel run down and over-indulged.  Well, what better time than the first month of the new year to begin anew.  Instead of doing any intense cleanse or restricting diets, I like to add more greens and raw foods to my diet.  This massaged kale salad includes black beans, tempeh, and corn.  Stock full of protein and iron you will feel satisfied in body and soul.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale
1 14oz package of tempeh, cubed
1 14oz can of back beans
1 8oz can of corn
1 avocado, very ripe
1 tablespoon of liquid aminos
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 1 fresh clove minced)
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
Black pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients from water to back pepper and set aside to thicken for several minutes.  Clean and roughly chop the kale and set aside.  Cube the tempeh and sear on a cast iron skillet (or frying pan) with a bit of non-stick spray.  Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.  Then add liquid smoke and liquid aminos to pan.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Drain corn and black beans and set aside along with the diced bell pepper.  Now take the dressing from before (it should be fairly thick by now) and the ripe avocado and massage both into kale.  Be sure to massage it for several minutes.  Now add all remaining ingredients.  Enjoy!