The only drawback to preparing this dish is the amount of ingredients you have to line up which then clutter your worktop, but I make the effort worthwhile by making a whole mound, then dressing it in batches as needed so that the bulk of it keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. It is a really great standalone salad, perfect for any lunch. It is a particular hit with my girlfriends as it is a modern, wheat-free variation of taboule with an abundance of green and herbs, the latter being the dominant in the ratio to carbs.
Crucially, it is an absolute winner in the lunchbox (Yay, at LAST!) as the kale has body, doesn’t wilt or shed water too much and the rice and quinoa provide further bite and substance. The key is to use as much kale as you can as it does lose some volume, so don’t be shocked by my quantities.
I haven’t quite figured out how to work in a neat and un-cluttered way in the kitchen. The more ingredients and dishes at once the lower my self-esteem when I cast around the countertop. Perhaps I’m simply not intrinsically OCD enough. I loved reading an article about Jocasta Innes who was a mother, fabulous cook, food-writer and interiors maven. Her house was alive with equipment and paraphernalia and it made my heart glad to hear and see it. She apparently lamented the morgue-like contemporary kitchens of today and I have to say I agree somewhat. It also helped me see that it is not necessarily a failing to have a full, busy, slightly messy kitchen. Actually, apart from industrial kitchens, that is what a real, living, breathing, functioning kitchen should look like if you ask me. I hope to boost my prep-space soon with a butcher’s block. We have a temporary, horrid, laminated monstrosity of a table bought on Commercial Road in the 80s by my dad on his way home from work one night, on my mother’s instructions to be able seat German family friends coming to stay with us. It was the Winter ET came out, I remember going to see it and my heart breaking. Reassuringly my kids had the same reaction to the film. So there we were: 4 kids and 4 adults in total at every meal and it was the perfect kids table because it folds neatly away into a vertical but when deployed forms a beautiful satellite off the main affair, allowing rugrats relative independence and a modicum of naughtiness. It’ s far too small for our 3 kids and two adults now, so we huddle about it as if on some pavement eating street-food. I have a plan for some before and after pics when my own kitchen is finally finished and looking as I want it.
A quick note on nuts and seeds: they are incredibly healthy and so easily make a dish more “upscale”. There are some in this recipe. When I can be bothered every now and again, I toast almond slices, pine nuts (separately) and store them just by moving around a hot pan then allowing to cool before storage. This is one of the little tedious tasks that I do on a rainy day while on the phone to some nightmare call-centre or other. (Again, see the Recipe Vault for store cupboard essentials and recommendations / suggestions of things to keep on hand).
Virtuous-o Kale and Quinoa Salad
A tip to serve more beautifully (and which I did not do in the top photo which shows my bowl all mucky around the edges) is to dress and leave the salad to amalgamate before serving in a big bowl, and transfer to the serving bowl just before you bring it to the table.
Ingredients
- 250g quinoa (any is fine, red looks pretty)
- 200g whole grain rice, camargue or short grain work well
- 1kg curly Kale, washed and de-stalked and torn in bits
- 1 medium red onion
- 50g bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
- 50g bunch fresh coriander
- 50g bunch thai basil (if you can get some, or simply increase ratio of coriander and parsley)
- 1 large apple
- 50g dried cranberries (preferably briefly pre-soaked)
- 30g sultanas (if very dry, preferably briefly pre-soaked)
- 50g pine nuts (preferably toasted)
- 50g flaked almonds (preferably toasted)
- For the dressing (this is just a guideline - I like very well-seasoned food and lots of dressing, feel free to alter to your taste. The grains will soak up a lot of the dressing so you may need to add and mix etc.):
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 heaped tbsp Tahini, (preferably wholemeal as it has more flavour)
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (you can find in middle-eastern shops and online, or if not replace with balsamic, mixed with honey/ maple syrup)
- zest of one lemon/lime (or combo of these)
- juice of 1 lemon/lime
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp red wine or cidre vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, bruised and peeled
Instructions
- Simply rinse the grains in a sieve and sling in cooking pot of your choice to cook (rice cooker, whatever).
- Prep your kale by washing thoroughly in cold water, shake the stems well or spin in a salad spinner to dry then strip the leaves away from the stalks, which can be horribly woody.
- Rip each green flank you've stripped, into bite-sized pieces (roughly 1-2 nches square) or else the eater will be trying to wrestle the green in to their mouth.
- Tip them in to a large bowl and drizzle with a thin stream of olive oil in a zig zag across the leaves and then with clean bare hands massage the kale pieces to make the misty leaves emerald green and glossy. I find this not only makes the salad super vibrant, but it also means that the dressing later coats the whole salad better. (this should take 30 seconds) Put to one side.
- Now finely slice the red onion and place in a little bowl along with a splash of vinegar diluted with water (enough to cover) and set aside until the onion edges have macerated and become a gloriously neon pink. This takes the edge off the extremely oniony, sulphury aftertaste but preserves the bite and flavour. Drain and let drip in a sieve until uniting with the other ingredients.
- If you have a chopper then the next bit takes 1 minute: de-stalk your herbs and throw the leaves in and blitz. Alternatively use a mezza luna if you have one, or a large sharp blade and awesome knife skills to finely chop all the herbs. The benefit of this is that you can consume the herbs as an aromatic salad instead of fibrous tufts surfacing in your bowl.
- Wash your apple, it is pretty but not essential to use one with red skin, to add contrast to the green. On a mandolin, take great care not to remove your finger tips and shave the apple in to beautiful juicy slices. Work your way around the core turning as you go.
- The sweetness of the cranberries and sultanas is a little surprise amidst all the virtuous green and savoury elements of the dish. I find it really appeals to those who like sweet and sour and salted caramel etc. (eg. Me!) Sprinkle these in and combine.
- Then add the nuts for texture and interest. The salad really sings with their addition but they are not essential.
- At this point check your grains. If ready then drain and allow to cool. If you need to switch more grains in to your rice cooker after the first lot, then do this now.
- No doubt at this point you will have a raft of receptacles strewn about. You can declutter your worktop now by combining all the ingredients that are cold and drained in to one big mixing bowl. I tend not to serve from this but combine all the ingredients, remove what I don't want to serve right away, put the rest in an airtight box and straight into the fridge.
- For the dressing tip all the ingredients in to a jar with a lid, shake vigorously until well blended and taste for any eventual adjustments. Once all your grains are well drained and at room temperature and added to the kale, jumble it all about and pour over the dressing in stages, stirring and tasting, checking it is evenly distributed. This is best done about 30 minutes before serving so that it has time to soak in and you can add if necessary.
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