Sauteed Kale and Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Kale is one of our favorite super healthy, super friendly and super easy to use superfoods! Here’s an easy way to whip up a nutritious salad utilizing this nutrient-dense leafy green and an abundance of fresh produce. We chose kale for the base of this salad but feel free to substitute spinach. We packed grains, leafy greens, root vegetables, and citrus into this salad so it works perfectly for a hearty lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. P.S. Perfect for a mason jar lunch on the go, add dressing when you are ready to eat.

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 large beet
• 3 medium carrots
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 small oranges
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1/4 freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 tbs honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove the stems of the kale by holding the end of the stem and pulling the leaves in the opposite direction or by taking a knife and slicing down the middle to remove the thicker part of the stem. Next, wash the kale thoroughly and dry.
3. Roughly chop kale and place in a medium to large skillet with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste over medium-low heat. Sauté until lightly wilted but still tender, about 4 minutes, making sure to stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Now peel the beet and cut into quarter moons. Lay on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes, or until tender.
5. Remove carrot tops and wash carrots thoroughly. Peel the outer layer and then start to create ribbon-like strips with a peeler.
6. Cut onion into thinly sliced half moons and sauté in a small pan with a little olive oil and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
7. Remove pith from oranges by slicing the top and bottom off of the orange. Using even downward strokes, slice the peel away from the flesh and discard the peel. Remove any excess white pith. Cut between the membranes to remove the orange segments over a bowl to save the juice for the dressing. Once all segments are removed, squeeze remaining juice out of orange into the bowl.
8. Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste to create the vinaigrette.
9. Grab a large bowl or serving platter and toss together kale, quinoa, onion, and carrots ribbons. Slowly drizzle in vinaigrette and toss until well coated, but you do not want to drench the salad so you may not use all of the dressing. Gently fold in the beets and orange segments. Serve and enjoy!