Pomegranate & Kale Salad

So many people have been asking me for healthy recipes, so I wanted to start with a healthy, winter salad: Pomegranate and Kale Salad! Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (measure uncooked)
1 large pomegranate
6 tablespoons pomegranate juice, from the pomegranate above
8 cups stemmed, chopped kale
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 cup sliced almond (raw or lightly toasted if you prefer)
4 tablespoons of orange juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt


Cooking Instructions:

To prepare the quinoa: Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh colander until the water runs clear; allowing as much water as possible to drain. Combine the quinoa with two cups of water, in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cover, simmering for about 15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork

To seed and juice the pomegranate: Firmly roll the pomegranate on the counter with the palm of your hand for about 20 seconds. Roll hard enough to break up the seeds (you'll hear them), but not so hard that you break the fruit open. Place a strainer above a large bowl and slice the fruit in half; juice will start spilling out immediately. Rolling the pomegranate loosens the seeds, so gently squeeze each half, cut side down, through the strainer. The strainer will catch the seeds and the juice will fall into the bowl. The pith (white part) should stay with the shell, if it doesn't you can simply pick it out. If there is a lot, place the seeds in a large bowl of room temperature water. The seeds will sink and the pith will float for easy separation. A large pomegranate should give you enough juice for this recipe.

To prepare the kale: One bunch of kale that's been stemmed and chopped will yield about eight cups. All of the ingredients in this salad are small so you don't want large pieces of kale to overwhelm it, so chop away!

To prepare the almonds: I prefer to always buy raw, unsalted nuts because it maximizes nutrition. Place your raw, unsalted sliced almonds in a small sauté pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes to lightly toast, tossing halfway through. They will be lightly fragrant and lightly golden brown. Watch them closely, nuts can burn very quickly. If you don't want your almonds toasted, skip this step.


Recipe:
Combine the pomegranate juice, orange juice, olive oil, and sea salt in the bottom of a large bowl; whisk together until emulsified. Combine the rest of the ingredients into the dressing and serve, or store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

I'll be posting more recipes throughout the month of December. Follow the blog so you don't miss any of them! Just put your email address into the box at the top right hand side of the page.

Wishing you Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby