Kale Quinoa Salad with Candied Spiced Walnuts and Blueberries
This salad has lots of elements and does take a bit of time for prep but it's well worth the effort. It's hearty and healthy so you'll feel like you've made a good personal choice for a meal which frees up space for something irresponsible later. Life is all about balance.
Serves 2-3 for entree salads or 4 - 6 for starter course salads
Salad Ingredients:
1 16 oz block of tofu
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp oil
1/8 cup maple syrup
dash of Cayenne pepper
12 cups kale, chopped (one bunch)
1/4 cup julienned carrots
1 cup blueberries
1 cup cooked quinoa
Dressing Ingredients:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
Press your tofu to remove some of the water. (To press your tofu place it on a clean dish towel and fold the towel over top of the tofu. Set a heavy book on top and let it set for a few minutes. If you eat a lot of tofu go ahead and splurge on an actual tofu press. I use mine all the time.) Cut the tofu into your desired sized pieces. I usually cut mine into 24 rectangles that are about 1/2" x 1/2" x 1.5". Toss the tofu in oil and dill to coat and then spread evenly on a baking tray. Bake your tofu for 25 - 30 mins at 425 degrees turning once halfway through the baking.
While the tofu is baking prep the other ingredients.
To candy the walnuts, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet and add your nuts. Toss them as they toast a bit in the skillet to deepen their flavor. Add the maple syrup and cayenne pepper and toss to coat the nuts. The syrup will quickly bubble and thicken so keep an eye on things so they don't burn. After about a minute, remove the nuts and spread them out on a piece of parchment paper to cool and harden.
While the nuts are cooling and the tofu is still crisping up in the oven, chop the kale and then rinse and dry in a salad spinner. Place the kale in a large bowl and then, with your hands, massage the kale to break up the fibers a bit and tenderize the leaves. As you do this you'll see the kale turn a brighter shade of green.
Add the carrots, blueberries and quinoa to the kale and then start on the dressing.
In a dressing mixer or mason jar add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, agave nectar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Shake the dressing until well blended and the salt is dissolved.
Remove the tofu from the oven and allow it to cool for a bit (I usually put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to take some of the heat off of it) before adding to the kale.
Add the walnuts and tofu to the kale. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Nutritional Information: Calories 486, Protein 26 g, fat 11.5
