i envisioned summer being some what different.
i dreamed about sunny warm days at the pool. walking through the farmers market hand in hand with my kids. lazy mornings with the dogs. cooking more. getting some use of my bbq.
things don’t always work out. and to be honest. it’s not bad. it’s just different.
i got a job (insert huge smile here). my life over the past couple weeks had been turned inside out. it’s different and it’s fun, it’s totally rewarding. i actually love it. but being around food all day has kept me out of my kitchen at night. we have been indulging in salads, lots of salads…and then i did that juice cleanse for 3 days (link to last cleanse).
when chaos ensues at my house salad always become the go to meal. we add anything from steak to chicken, fish to fruit. the man tosses it in a tortilla and that’s dinner. what i never even thought of was adding quinoa. such a basic ingredient that i always have sitting around. it’s one of our favorites. why not? it’s healthy, it’s good, and you can add it to everything.
take the most basic salad, greens of any kind (my new favorite is kale), a light dressing, fresh veggies from your garden, it’s the perfect meal to eat on a hot and humid day.
Black Quinoa and Kale Salad with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette
the kale salad is very basic. i wash and clean my kale, chop it, throw it in a bowl. we have been adding anything from avocado to cucumbers, cheese to sliced almonds and left over quinoa.
i make my salad with the veggies first and then plate it. to the top of each salad i spoon a 1/2 cup of quinoa over. add your dressing and toss.
for the apple cider vinaigrette: 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 tbl honey, 1/2 tbl mustard, pinch of salt and pepper. shake, pour over salad. feel free to adjust per your liking.
sometimes i like my vinaigrette on the oily side, sometimes i love the tartness of the vinegar. add more honey to make it sweeter, you can even try minced hot peppers to add a kick.
