Warm Salad of Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa

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Each month I write for Kitchen Garden Magazine (check it out here) where I create recipes that follow the gardening seasons. It’s a process I really enjoy, as I eat and cook with the changing seasons in mind every day. It comes naturally to me, maybe because I grow a large quantity of our food myself, and I am therefore in tune with what vegetables are in season. When I started this blog, I divided the blog categories up into seasons, making it easy for readers to, at a glance, find recipes that feature vegetables readily available here and now. And that still stands. This recipe I am sharing with you today has the slow changing season from summer to autumn written all over it.  A warm salad of Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa with Toasted Hazelnuts and an Orange Balsamic Dressing.

If you are interested in learning more about eating seasonally and locally, then stay tuned, as I am preparing an Eat Seasonally Guide which will be posted in the next coming month.

I wanted to make a salad for the magazine article opposed to a full on roasted vegetable dish, as we are certainly not in full blown fall/autumn mode just yet folks! I for one am still clinging onto the idea of an Indian Summer turning up soon..! But as it’s pretty chilly this week, a warm salad made with hearty greens and a tangy orange dressing seemed fitting. Quinoa fills it all out, the roasted hazelnuts gives it a salty bite and the orange balsamic dressing pulls it all together.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

 

Warm Salad of Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa with Toasted Hazelnuts and an Orange Balsamic Dressing.

Serves 2

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Ingredients 

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
50g/1.7oz mixed nuts, chopped
1tbsp olive oil
225g/8oz kale, chopped
200g/7oz quinoa
500ml water 1 orange, juice of
50ml balsamic vinegar
1tbsp honey
salt and pepper

• Preheat your oven to 200°C/190 fan/gas 6.
• In a roasting pan, toss the sweet potato and nuts in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa. Add 500ml of water to a saucepan then add the rinsed quinoa. Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Combine the orange juice, balsamic vinegar and honey, set aside.
• 5 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done, add the kale to the roasting pan, and mix in. Roast for the remaining 5 minutes.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and mix the quinoa with the roasted vegetables.
• Pour over the dressing, and serve.