Greens with Quinoa, Citrus, and Roasted Almonds Lets all make a promise to eat more greens! This recipe makes it really easy. Plus, at the end is a great dressing. Win. Win. Perfect for this time of year. Cheers! Quinoa, though actually a seed that acts like a grain, is light, cooks up quickly, is very alkalizing, has a pleasant, mild taste, and is packed with protein. Just make sure to rinse your quinoa really well to remove the bitter saponin on the outside of the grain and of course, try to soak it for at least a few hours if you can. You can also use other whole grains like brown rice, forbidden rice, barley, or farro. Farro (an ancient Italian grain and not gluten free) is a complex carbohydrate that has a good amount of protein and lots of fiber. Make sure you get the whole grain farro and not the pearled faro so you do get all of that beneficial fiber. It has a chewy texture and a nutty taste that I just love. Serve this recipe warm or at room temperature. You, of course, not only can change up the grain, but also the greens and any other vegetable you want to include. Adding beans to the dish makes it a filling meal and you can add in nuts or toasted seeds and fresh herbs as well. What you will need: *Six cups of your favorite greens: Swiss chard, radicchio, Savoy cabbage, kale, collards, whatever looks fresh at the market will do. After washing it and patting dry, slice it into bite size pieces. If there is a large rib down the center of the vegetable as in the kale, chard or collards, cut the leaf away from the rib. Pile your greens in a large bowl. *1 cup quinoa-rinse well. To cook the quinoa, rinse well, and cover with 1 -3/4 cups water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. * Options: 1-cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half; an avocado, cubed. Or instead of tomatoes, add some tangerine or blood orange slices. Add these to the quinoa and greens just before serving. So pretty! *1/4 cup toasted almonds (or toasted nut of choice) chopped Dressing Ingredients 1/4-cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup ½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/3-cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons, fresh orange juice Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste ¼ cup shallots or green onions, sliced thin Cook brown rice syrup and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a saucepan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add in the shallots. Stir the balsamic syrup mixture and then whisk in the oil and juice. Pour half over your greens. Putting it together: Now add in the quinoa and the rest of the dressing and mix together. Add in any veggies, herbs, or beans you may be using. Top with the toasted nuts and serve.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 17:57:13 +0000
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