Have you ever had one of those times when your realize you haven’t seen one of your closest friends in forever and you only live 5 miles apart? Yeah, that’s life. It sucks. But I was able to grab a quick lunch with my friend, Jenn, this past weekend. We went to The Porch at Siena and I had the most amazing salad ever. I became obsessed. So of course, I had to make an attempt to duplicate it. And I must say, it was freaking delicious! So here it is, my version of the Quinoa and Kale salad 🙂
Quinoa & Kale Salad
1 medium butternut squash, cubed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
4-5 cups kale
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 small green apples, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t Dijon mustard
6 T extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cubed butternut squash into a large freezer bag with olive oil. Close and shake he bag to coat the squash in the oil. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray (or if you are really lazy like me, put a piece of foil over the sheet first and then spray so you have next to nothing to clean up!) and spread squash in a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake squash for 30 minutes or until soft.
In the meantime, mix all ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl or carafe to make the dressing. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
Once the squash is cooled, toss it together kale, apples, almond slices and quinoa in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and mix well.
Since kale is a sturdy green, it will hold up well for a few days with the dressing on it in the refrigerator. You can also add the protein of your choice! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
popefitness.com 