Mixed Grains with Kale and Apple

Welcome to dinner at my house.

This is pretty much what I eat most of the time... or at least a variation of it.

I absolutely love dishes that are packed with hearty grains, delicious greens, and sweet fruit.  If it were up to me, those types of foods would be the ones served in fast food restaurants, school cafeterias, and tons of dinner tables worldwide.  We gotta show people that healthy can taste good!

For real though, sometimes I wonder why simple salads, like the recipe I'm sharing today, aren't made more often.  I mean, it's not like they're complicated dishes to make.  I'm no master cook, and I threw this together pretty easily.  All you gotta do is toss some grains on the stovetop, cut up some apples, and then saute it all together with some kale.  My desserts are harder to make!

And do not tell me that people are hesistent to make this sort of thing because they think it won't taste good.  Oh, please.

Grains = delicious.  Apples = awesome.  Kale = even better.  So, c'mon, what on Earth leads one to believe that all of that combined is anything short of fantastic?

Answer = nothing.

Mixed Grains with Kale and Apple
Salad:

• 1/2 cup red quinoa
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 apples
• 6 (packed) cups kale, washed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt + pepper, to taste

Place quinoa in rice cooker along with 1 cup water and let cook until ready.  Repeat process with barley.  If you don't have a rice cooker, cook according to package directions, using same amount of water and quinoa/barley.  Cut onion into thin slices.  Saute with olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until soft.  Add kale and apples and saute for another 10 minutes, until kale is wilted.  Mix in cranberries and grains and heat until warmed.

Make dressing my combining all ingredients in a small container, and shaking or mixing until very well combined.  Toss salad with desired amount of dressing (I used about half).  Serve warm.  Makes 4-6 servings as an appetizer, or 3-4 as a main dish.

If you still don't have faith in this dish, then all I can tell you is try it.  You will change your mind.  And if you don't, well, then I've got nothing to say to you.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Grilled Peach and Sausage Salad