Let’s batch cook!
It’s been a while! Life is busy as a full-time mom, and lately I’ve been thinking about how to consolidate the day to day tasks (like cooking) in order to have a little extra me time at the end of the day to maintain my sanity. I don’t think I’ve found the magic solution yet but I have realized that I can be much more efficient in the kitchen if I just do a bit more batch cooking when time permits. Enter: this Crunchy Sweet Kale Salad! I love the combination of beets, carrots and apple in this salad. The crunch and sweetness makes it easy to crave, and the hearty kale won’t get soggy in the fridge for a few days. Making this early in the week and having it ready for lunches or a side for a quick dinner has saved a lot of time!
What makes this Salad Nourishing?
Beets are a great source of minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, betacarotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Do you see that beautiful natural colour? That screams nourishment! Nutritional therapies have used beets for helping disorders of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, intestines and stomach, as well as blood disorders such as anemia. Beets have a cleansing affect by supporting both the digestive and lymphatic systems so including them in your diet can support the body’s natural ability to clear out toxins. Adding carrots and apples to the mix only support these systems further as they are both great sources of fibre, further aiding the body in eliminating toxins.
Will kids eat this?
If you offer it, your kids just might devour it! But you won’t know until you try. And trying once is not enough! It lasts a few days in the fridge, so put a little on their plate each day, don’t make a big deal out of it, and see what happens. I find that chopping the kale extra tiny makes them more likely to eat it.
I hope you guys love this healthy sweet and crunchy kale salad as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
| Crunchy Sweet Kale Salad | | Print |
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 large head of kale, stems removed and chopped
- 2 medium red beets, shredded*
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 Tb. dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tb. maple syrup or liquid honey
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- Optional toppings: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts
- Cook your quinoa as per package instructions and set aside to cool once it's done.
- While the quinoa cooks, chop the kale and add it to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil on the kale and massage the kale with your hands for a few minutes to soften.
- Shred the carrots and beets, and add to the kale.
- Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, dijon, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper in a mason jar and shake/stir to combine.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, combine with the vegetables and toss with approximately half the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper, or add more dressing to your liking.
- Enjoy! Makes 4 large meal sized servings or 6-8 side servings.
- Leftovers will keep in a covered glass container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- *If you prefer cooked beets over raw beets then steam, peel and dice the beets before adding them to the salad.
