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Picture this. It was mid-last week and dinnertime loomed. The weather was unseasonably chilly. I was cooking for one that night and feeling a bit lazy.
Sometimes, I cop out of dinner entirely and just have a bowl of leftover soup or whip up a simple breakfast-for-dinner oatmeal dish. I’ve even been known to make pancakes for dinner when I’m on my own.
For whatever reason, I didn’t feel like giving in to the laziness entirely. I also didn’t feel like going all-out and making an elaborate dinner, so I compromised. Using some leftover quinoa from my fridge, I whipped up a sweet and satisfying warm salad from ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It may have been some of my laziest kitchen work yet, but I managed to create a keeper. I think you’ll like it.
Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes
Yield: 2 servings
2 cups cooked quinoa, any variety
1 cup red seedless grapes
3 Tbsp chopped raw almonds
4-5 kale leaves, destemmed and sliced thinly
1/2 sweet apple (Gala, Fuji, Braeburn), chopped roughly
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
pinch each of salt and pepper
- Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside or use leftover precooked quinoa.
- Heat a medium frying pan to medium-high heat. Add grapes and almonds, stirring occasionally until grapes begin to swell and almonds are toasted.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to smash about half the grapes.
- Add kale leaves and cook 2-3 minutes until just wilted.
- While kale is cooking, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, agave, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- When kale is slightly wilted, add apple and cooked quinoa to frying pan and stir to combine.
- Add dressing and stir just to coat all ingredients. Serve immediately, topped with additional toasted almonds if desired.