The Hard Hat Belles will show you how to prepare two delicious salads with Quinoa and Kale as base. Quinoa contains about 15% of protein and Kale is known for its detox properties. Combining these two turns them into the dream food for any vegetarian (and even if your not!). You are sure to enjoy these salads this summer!
Hi Y’All!
With summer coming on we decided it would be very refreshing to show you how to make some unique salads using kale and quinoa. I have to say that KALE is my new go to salad leaf. So, grab your drink and a seat and let’s make some salads.
TROUBLE IN KALE LAND
When Wiebke and I started looking for a different type of salad to create for you – I had a very reluctant reaction to the thought of using the kale. Why you ask? Well, it all started a few years ago when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and we were trying to do all things healthy. We got a special juicer and did research on the best produce for the best juices. Kale was at the top of the list.
Unbeknownst to us was that the stomach flu was making it’s vicious way through our family.
You guessed it! The day we decided to start off with a very healthy CLEANSING kale juice (and of course it had to be a large 20 oz), and the flu decided to collide. Let’s just say it wasn’t very pretty around our house for about a week and everything reeked of kale….ugh.
So, when Wiebke found some kale and quinoa recipes and we discussed them – I was very hesitant. But she was very interested to experiment with kale and combine it with quinoa. I have to say these two salads really changed the way I think about kale and quinoa now. Kale really is the new lettuce in my household and I am besotted with quinoa. I am completely converted . Still not sure I’d try another kale juice though. . .
Hail The Kale
Once we learned the magic of making kale more tender and beautiful to boot it was up hill from there. You’ll have to read the recipes to discover the magic yourself. To me, kale has a flavor similar to fresh spinach, however, it is much milder. The other bonus that I love – is that it lasts so much longer than ice berg, Romaine, or Leaf lettuce in your refrigerator.
I have had it on homemade pizza, tacos, nachos, sandwiches. . . anything and anywhere I might use lettuce. I am totally sold and we hope you will be too.
Why Kale?
The potential health benefits of kale are amazing and really worth the effort to investigate. The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health’s scientific article on . . . Green Vegetable Juices suggests that kale may even be beneficial in the role of preventing degenerative diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. For additional information and a different perspective on kale, check out the Kale: Health Benefits, Uses and Risks article written by dietitian Megan Ware, RDN,LD. Even if you are not looking for health benefits the evidence has shown that kale can help with weight loss as well. I am anticipating my own weight loss eating more kale and drinking more water with our Motivational Water Jug! Let’s go get our KALE fix!
Quinoa – The Ancient Protein Wonder
Quinoa has been around for thousands of years and is gluten-free, packed with protein and according to the Ancient Harvest website a nutritional powerhouse. To me it is a healthy alternative to calorie packed pasta and rice. I like the nutty type flavor quinoa has and it adds a wonderful texture to salads. I can’t wait to try it in place of pasta and rice in some of my recipes. To learn more watch the video below.
Take a tour of the Ancient Harvest website to get tons more information on quinoa – from the history on quinoa to recipes and where to buy it. You can also hop on over to the Authority Nutrition website to read an article – 11 Proven Health Benefits of Quinoa (No. 1 is Best) May 2016, by Kris Gunnars, BSc (Bachelor’s degree in medicine). He talks about 11 reasons why we should embrace quinoa into our diets from health benefits to losing weight.
Another good source of information is Jen’s Reviews post on quinoa. You will find some more facts and delish recipes to try out.
To learn more about powerfoods that are easy to use with awesome benefits visit the cookingdetective.com and read their article on 23 Superfoods To Add To Your Diet For A Healthy Life.
Psst. . . I didn’t realize it until Wiebke showed me how, but quinoa is so easy to cook and much quicker than rice! Just look at the pictures below to tell when it is cooked.
Raw uncooked quinoa on the left. The germ has popped on the left which means the quinoa is cooked.
Kale & Quinoa Salads
Do you want to know how to get more kale and quinoa into your everyday meal menu? We have a start for you! It is with these two awesome salads!
Fruit-Nut Salad:
Ingredients: Kale, quinoa, apples, mandarins, dried cranberries, blueberries, honey, lime juice, olive oil
Rinse 1 cup Quinoa under running tap water, place in pan, add 2 cups water and boil for 15 minutes. You’ll know the quinoa is done when the germ pops out and the quinoa has a translucent color. Cool off the quinoa.
In a small bowl mix lime juice, honey and olive oil. Add this to the chopped and de-stemmed kale. Massage the dressing into the kale (see video). **See magic note below.
Add cranberries, mandarins, apple, blueberries and almonds (or anything that suits your fancy).
Finally, add the cooled off quinoa and toss all ingredients together. Absolutely delish!
Greek Salad:
Ingredients: 2 cups water,1 cup quinoa, 1 cup baby kale (or regular), stems removed, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered, ½ cup cucumber, diced, ¼ cup red onion, minced, 2 tablespoons kalamata olives, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt , ⅛ teaspoon pepper, feta cheese for topping
Rinse 1 cup Quinoa under running tap water, place in pan, add 2 cups water and boil for 15 minutes. You’ll know the quinoa is done when the germ pops out and the quinoa has a translucent color. Cool off the quinoa.
In a small bowl mix lemon juice, and olive oil. Add this to the chopped and de-stemmed kale. Massage the dressing into the kale (see video). **See magic note below.
Add chopped cucumbers, diced tomato, chopped parsley, sliced olives, diced red onion.
Add the cooled off quinoa and toss all ingredients together.
Finally, top with crumbled Feta Cheese. And the Greek Quinoa Kale Salad is ready to enjoy!
**Magic Note: This is how the kale is transformed from a cabbage texture to a softer one. When I am using kale in other recipes or with other food, such as sandwiches, I simply use a small portion of extra virgin olive oil and massage away.
Note: Disclaimer
And there you have it! Two delish kale and quinoa salads to chose from. Let us know which one you preferred in the comments below.
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Thank you!
May Your Day Be Spent
Inspiring Hope
Love & Hugs,
Denine & Wiebke
