Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Quinoa

I have been beyond obsessed with kale salads lately.....I literally crave them! My friend, Elle, and I came up with this fun salad together by basically tossing a bunch of yummy stuff in with the kale. The results were so good I had to recreate it again for my husband tonight. He said, "this is blog-able" - which is his way of giving me a big THUMBS UP!

**This salad makes enough for two as a meal. Add chicken sausage, shredded chicken or crumbled bacon if you want to incorporate some extra protein.

Salad:
1 bunch of curly kale, stems removed, rinsed, dried and chopped
1 cup of COOKED white or red quinoa
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 dates, pitted & chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds OR chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup blue cheese OR feta cheese (I like blue!)
Olive oil for roasting chickpeas and massaging kale

**See not above for suggestions on adding meat

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 heaping Tbl honey
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Spread the chickpeas on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook for 15 minutes; check on chickpeas and shake the cookie sheet or toss with a spatula. Return to oven and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Just keep checking on the chickpeas until they are roasted to your liking. I like mine crispy on the outside and a bit soft in the middle.

You can toast the nuts for about 5-8 minutes in a 400F oven. Check on the nuts after 5 minutes to make sure they aren't burning. Almonds toast more quickly than walnuts - just keep an eye on them!

When the kale is cut and cleaned, place it in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Now it is time to massage the kale. Get your hands in that bowl of kale and rub it gently in between your fingers.....massaging the kale will break down the bitterness of the leaf and make it delicious! You can let it sit for awhile before you actually make the salad and dress it; or you can eat it right away!

To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

Once the chickpeas are roasted, the nuts are toasted and the kale has been massaged, you are ready to put it all together. Divide the kale between two large salad bowls and add the quinoa. Stir the quinoa into the kale so it is evenly distributed. Then add the chickpeas, dates, nuts and cheese.  Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Harvest Grain Salad with Roasted Veggies & Pears

This salad is straight up delicious. Full of fall harvest veggies and fruits. The perfect salad to eat on a chilly autumn day. I think it would make a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish, too! Enjoy!

*This salad serves 2 people as a meal or 6 as a side dish.

Salad:
2 cups cooked grain such as brown/white rice or quinoa (I used rice)
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 large red OR yellow onion, diced
1 whole pear OR apple, cubed (I used an apple)
~ Tbl olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup dried cherries OR craisins (I used dried cherries)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (optional)
1 cup fresh greens such as spinach or arugula, chopped (I used spinach)

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup FRESH squeezed orange juice
1 Tbl pure maple syrup
2 tsp apple cider OR red/white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400F

Cook rice or quinoa according to directions; when finished cooking set aside.

Place butternut squash and onion on a parchment-lined, rimmed cookie sheet. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper - toss to coat - use your hand to spread everything out evenly on sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add chopped apple or pear to the cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes or until all the veggies and fruit taste done to your liking. Cool them slightly.

While the veggies/fruit are roasting, make the dressing. Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl add cooked rice, slightly cooled roasted veggies, cherries, walnuts (if using) and dressing. Mix well to combine.  Add chopped greens and stir to combine. Taste salad and add salt and pepper to your liking.  Serve right away or chill; this salad is good warm or cold. Enjoy!!

The BEST Kale Salad I've Ever Made

I know what you're thinking? The Best kale salad you've ever made? Really? YES! Yes, it is.....this salad was so delicious....I'm quite proud of myself! HA!! Even my husband said it was incredible multiple times during dinner. I also added some sliced, marinated, grilled chicken to his salad. He loved the addition.

Kale always needs to be "massaged" with olive oil when you are eating it raw.  Massaging kale with your fingers breaks down the toughness and releases its sweetness. Please take the time to do this before eating - it will change the way you feel about eating raw kale forever !! It also needs to be lightly salted. 

I hope you love this salad as much as we did! This is going to be my new "go-to".  YUM!!

Salad:
1 bunch of curly kale, hard stems removed, kale chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin half moons
1/2 to 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and chopped
1 16oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3 Tbl hemp seeds, optional
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Sliced chicken breast, if desired

Dressing:
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbl freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F

Peel the sweet potato. Slice the sweet potato into 1/4" thick rounds and then cut again into half moons. Place on foiled lined baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil. Lightly salt. Toss to combine and then arrange them slide by side so there is no overlapping. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until sweet potato is cooked to your likeness.

Trim the Brussels sprouts and chop each sprout into thirds. Drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil, lightly salt and toss to coat. Place on another foil lined baking sheet and spread the sprouts out. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes. If you like (and I do!) drizzle the roasted sprouts with 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup (just a little extra special touch to add a bit of sweetness to the sprouts- totally optional!).

While the veggies are roasting, prepare the kale. Remove all the hard middle stems from the kale leaves and discard.  Wash the curly leaves, pat dry and chop into bite sized pieces. Place kale into a large bowl and drizzle a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and massage the kale with your fingers for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss (read my intro to learn about massaging kale). Put the kale into the fridge while you are roasting the other veggies.

This next step is optional, but I always like to plump up my dried fruits - it makes them easier to chew. Put 1/2 cup of water into a microwave safe dish and heat for two minutes, making the water very hot, but not boiling. Put the chopped dried cranberries into the hot water and let them sit for 5 minutes and then drain well. The water will plump them up and make them juicy instead of hard and sticky. If you don't have time for this step, no worries, just use the dried cranberries as is.

While the veggies are roasting, make the dressing. Add all the ingredients into a dish and whisk together; set aside.

Once the vegetables have roasted and slightly cooled, it is time to assemble the salad.

Remove the kale from the fridge and add the sunflower seeds, chickpeas, dried cranberries and hemp seeds (if using).  Evenly distribute the salad onto plates. Top each salad with the sweet potato slices and roasted Brussels sprouts.  If using, add sliced chicken breast to the top of each salad. Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!!!! YUM!!!

"Peachy Keen" Smoothie

This smoothie is pure deliciousness! Enjoy!

3 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen cherries
1 ripe banana
3 dates (pitted) or giant squeeze of honey
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup canned coconut milk, full fat or light
1/2 cup almond milk or dairy milk
Ice cubes, if desired
1 large handful of spinach, optional

Put all ingredients into a high power blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately. Makes two smoothies.

Honey Lime Green Smoothie

Oh boy is this smoothie delicious! I was actually shocked at how lip-smacking good this odd-seeming smoothie actually tasted. It was sweet and a little bit tart; it's so very healthy and so very yummy - the perfect combination!!! Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups of cubed honey dew melon
2 peeled kiwis
1 ripe banana
10 mint leaves
1 to 2 limes (enough to give about 3 Tbl of juice)
2 GIANT handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup almond milk or low-fat milk
Ice, if desired

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Add ice if needed for desired coldness. Drink immediately.

This smoothie makes two large smoothies.

Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Vegetables

This scrumptious recipe comes from the blog Jo Cooks.  It was extremely easy to put together. I served it alongside some brown rice and with a side salad. It made a delicious vegetarian meal. These roasted veggies would also make a terrific side dish and would be super served at a Thanksgiving feast!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 2 cups cocktail tomatoes
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
2. In a bowl add all the mushrooms, veggies and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil then add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and toss until well combined.
3. Dump the veggies to a baking sheet and place in the preheat oven. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown and cauliflower is fork tender.
4. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving. <I served with a side of rice and a side salad>

Weeknight Crock Pot Sausage & Spinach Stew

My friend, Amne, shared this easy crock pot recipe with me. It's one of her family's favorite recipes and it's a snap to make. She serves it over cooked rice or pasta. Add a simple side salad and a piece of good crusty bread and dinner is served! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 links of pork or chicken Italian sausage, sliced  (you can leave on the casing)
1 tsp olive oil
28 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
8 oz block of cream cheese, cut into chunks
Quart of chicken or vegetable broth
10 oz bag loose leaf frozen spinach

Parmesan cheese for serving
Cooked pasta or rice for serving

Directions:

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat.  Add olive oil to skillet.  Add sliced sausage pieces to the hot skillet and brown on both sides.

Power on a large crock pot. You can either cook this dish on low for 8 hours or high for four hours, your choice. Add cooked sausage slices, fire roasted tomatoes, cream cheese chunks, and enough broth to cover the ingredients in the crock pot (you may not use the whole quart). Add the bag of loose leaf frozen spinach and give everything a good stir.

Once your crock pot has completed its cooking cycle serve stew over cooked rice or pasta. Season with salt & pepper. Add shredded Parmesan if you like. Enjoy!