superfood salad: kale and quinoa salad (csa week 2)

let's talk about superfoods. here is a yummy dish, perfect for summer that incorporates quinoa (our featured superfood) AND my csa kale. *SIDENOTE: on further inspection, i don't think my dark leafy csa green was kale. swiss chard perhaps? i have labeled my post as such. dark leafy green lovers of the world, help me! (see picture below).**UPDATE: kale!

superfoods are rich in multiple nutrients. in this case, all dark leafy greens are probably pretty close to having super powers but quinoa is an interesting one. quinoa is an ancient grain but is actually a seed. the seed is from a dark leafy green plant (a-ha!) that is closely related to spinach. the special thing about it? it contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. when cooked, it has a rather nutty flavor and a chewy texture with a little bit of crunch. so, to summarize, quinoa is low carb, high in protein and fiber, gluten-free, AND DELICIOUS. good, moving on...this recipe is rather tabouli-esque but is of course wheat and gluten-free.

kale and quinoa salad

• one bunch dark leafy green of your choice, roughly chopped (kale in this case; stems removed)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil
  
• 1 cup quinoa
• large handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
  
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
  
• small handful fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• salt and pepper
• sesame oil
• juice of one lemon

• rinse the quoina.
• cook the quinoa: boil 2 cups of water and then add 1 cup of quinoa and some salt. cover and turn temperature to a simmer. cook about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed, the quinoa has turned translucent in color. remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes then fluff with a fork. next time i will be using my rice cooker for this.
• while the quinoa cooks, sautee your green with the garlic and some olive oil.
• combine quinoa, greens, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, red pepper, and parsley.
  
• add sesame oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
• serve warm, room temperature or cold!