Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad
PIN IT!Life, it’s one funny SOB. Three days ago I was sitting on the streets of Cannes, sipping a French cafe, eating a flaky, buttery croissant. The sun was beaming down on my shoulders and I was so unbelievably happy I felt like I could explode. Then two days ago I was sitting first class on a flight back from Nice, right next to Sasha Baron Cohen, sipping free champagne, laughing about life.
And then flash forward to today. I’m eating $2 donuts from the store, crying because I can’t log into my stupid Twitter account, sitting amongst piles of boxes and clutter since we’re moving out in two weeks. Can I go back to my life just a few days ago? Because the one I’m in right now sort of…blows. But, that’s what keeps things exciting I suppose. If my life was all diamonds, trips and rose I guess I’d eventually get sick of it. (Or so I tell myself, I’m pretty sure I’d adjust just fine). The one thing I’m happy to be back to though is healthy food. I don’t know how the French stay so svelte because all they eat is steak, fries and croissants and drink ATON of red wine. I think I’ll need to eat one salmon & kale quinoa salad everyday until I move to Paris just so I can offset all of the weight I’ll gain living there.
I made an entire batch of this (enough to easily feed 6) and I’m sure I ate 4 servings myself. Fun of fiber, healthy fats and protein, this stuff is as healthy as it is freakin’ delicious.
Can we talk about France again? The one thing I noticed is that they don’t have a ton of grains, like quinoa, barley, rice, on their menus. Even when I was in Paris, all I saw were mostly pastas, breads, meats and salads. I’m sure they have quinoa hiding somewhere in their world, but it’s not very obvious to me. When the day comes that I move (notice I say WHEN and not IF), I’m going to have to beg Bob to send me boxes upon boxes just so I can satisfy my obsession with this superfood.
The great thing about this salad is that you can sub in whatever you want in place of what I have. If you don’t like salmon, add tuna or shrimp. Replace the kale with any other vegetable. It really doesn’t matter. No matter how you eat it, it’ll taste amazing.
It’s no croissant but it’ll do.
Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 8.5 ounces salmon filet, cooked and shredded
- About 4 cups kale leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water
- About 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Bring the four cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa. Lower heat and cover and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring sporadically, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until slightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add kale leaves and cook until wilted, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the quinoa. Add fish, chopped artichokes, pine nuts and cheese, stir to combine.
- To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information per 1/2 cup:
Calories: 312
Fat: 12.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 30.1 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 16 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Claire
Tags:healthy quinoa recipes, low fat recipes, low fat salad recipes, quinoa recipes, quinoa salad recipes
Comments