This recipe for Warm Kale and Ancient Grains Quinoa Salad was a huge hit with my husband and his coworkers. The original recipe can be found in the cookbook Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr. I made a few adjustment based on my own personal food allergies and tastes :). It is easily made into an IC friendly recipe with a few suggestions. I served this kale and quinoa salad with my Slow Baked Dutch Oven Chicken Drumsticks and Garlicky Potatoes. The heartiness of the chicken and potatoes paired very nicely with this light, nourishing salad!
Warm Kale and Ancient Blend Quinoa Salad
– 3 cups of Sonoma Valley Farms Ancient Blend Organic Quinoa
– 3.5 cups of water
– 2 cups of chopped organic kale
– 4 tbsp of thawed frozen organic pomegranate seeds
(You could also use currants, raisins, and dried cranberries or blueberries)
– 4 tbsp of unsalted pistashios
(You could also use pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
– 2 tbsp of fresh organic lemon juice (optional)
– 1 tbsp of non-GMO avocado oil (or olive.. I just like the taste!)
– Sea salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
Add the water and quinoa ancient blend to a pot on medium heat. Bring the quinoa to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 16-18 minutes (or prep as your quinoa bag instructs). Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Chop the kale. Whether or not you remove the stems is up to you. Personally, I love the slightly bitter taste that comes from the stems. I’m just that person that likes sour and bitter flavors. The stems have amazing therapeutic properties and contain tremendous amounts of nutrients and antioxidants. You lose a lot by not eating, but it’s a personal taste preference. I left my stems attached. The sweetness of the pomegranate seeds complimented the tartness of the stems perfectly. Add the chopped kale on top of the quinoa and cover for a few minutes to allow the kale to steam. We like our kale still crunchy, so I only left mine covered for 3-5 minutes.
Next add the pistachios, pomegranate seeds (or your IC friendly fruit or seeds), lemon juice (IC optional), avocado (or olive) oil, sea salt (optional), an pepper (optional).
Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly. Serve warm or cold.
happiness grows.. 