Kale Salad

This salad is pretty delicious, I must say. The Panera salad with roasted beets was my inspiration...but I'm not about to roast beets in my kitchen, so this is the next best thing to that salad.

I'm also loving adding quinoa to my salads this year! It's a 2017 thing.

I've made this salad a ton but apparently taking a picture of it was too much for me, so no picture this time. Just imagine the beautiful colors and delicious flavors. That's the best I've got to offer.

So delicious! Oh, and you want to dress this salad several hours before you serve it...kale needs some time to relax and become less...chewy.

Kale Salad

Juice of 2 lemons
3 T honey
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed & chopped finely
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water until done
1 cup dried cranberries
15 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt & pepper. Add the shredded kale and toss it to coat. Taste the kale - you may need to add a bit more honey as kale can be quite bitter. Adjust the seasonings and know that it will get better with time. You want to dress the salad several hours before eating it. Toss in the cooked quinoa and craisins and combine. On top of the salad, sprinkle the mandarin oranges and almonds and mix in just a little bit (not too much or the oranges will break up). Just before serving, sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top. Don't stir in the goat cheese or it will dissolve and make a mess.