My favorite way to make a salad more hardy, more filling, and more satisfying, is to add a grain to it (in addition to having a REALLY GOOD salad dressing, of course). Because raw kale can be a bit tough, some people tend to avoid it. But the heat and moisture of just cooked quinoa in this recipe really helps soften it up. And kale is sooooo good for you. Even my meat and potato loving non green eatin’ little brother likes this dish.
You will need:
1 cup Quinoa (red or gold or combo) or pasta of your choice, but quinoa is easier and healthier, so why not try it!
4-6 cups kale (your choice on how green you wanna go)
1-2 radish chopped (I have also used turnips)
1 cucumber sliced
~1/2-3/4 cup salad dressing of choice to taste (or the whole bottle–I’m loving Annie’s Lite Goddess dressing at the moment)
To prepare:
Add 1 cup of Quinoa (or pasta) to 2 cups of boiling water, turn heat to med-low and cover
Cook until water is gone and quinoa is fluffy, stirring occasionally
While the Quinoa is a cookin’, tear kale leaves into smaller pieces and place them in a large bowl—some people ditch the stems because they are quite tough, but I enjoy the colonic scrub of ruffage, so I include them
Add to that large bowl chopped cucumbers, radish and/or turnips
Add cooked quinoa, still hot, and stir.
Add dressing and stir some more—work that deltoid!
Dr. Maddy Day 