20141025

Feeling like you’ve over indulged too much lately and want something healthy to eat? Looking for a nutritious side dish or great salad to take to work? Try this simple quinoa salad and it will make you feel like you are eating "clean," and on the right track. Feel free to make substitutions/changes to suit your tastes. I liked the salad with salt and pepper only, but add some salad dressing on it for extra taste.

Quick and Clean Kale Quinoa Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 small onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups chopped kale

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used 1 package of PC Organics)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chickpeas

½ cup crumbled feta

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons salad dressing, optional*

*a balsamic dressing goes well with this, try equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil with a pinch of sugar and salt, mix well.

Directions:

In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add oil to pan. Add onions and cook until soft, around 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, around 5 minutes. Add kale, cook around 7 minutes or until some, but not all, of kale has wilted. Keep stirring vegetables every so often so they do not burn.
Add cooked quinoa and stir lightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Take pan off of heat. Transfer ingredients to a medium sized bowl and allow to cool slightly, 10-15 minutes.
Add chickpeas and feta, and salad dressing if using.

Makes 4-6 servings

Looking for more healthy recipes? Try Keep It Simple Salad, Barley, Corn, Grape Tomato, & Arugula Salad, and Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles Recipe.

Adapted from myhealthydish.com