Here is a nice salad featuring kale and butternut squash. I like to make a batch and take it to work for lunches. This recipe is from the blog, Tartelette.

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa (I used red)
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, cored and diced butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped kale (previously washed and cleaned)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• vinaigrette (recipe here)

In a large pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until all the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes). Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork and place in a large bowl to cool for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, heat one teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet, add the onion and cook until it turns translucid. Add the garlic, butternut squash and kale. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Remove the lid, check that the butternut squash is tender but not mushy or hard when you poke a piece with a knife. Add the thyme and continue cooking until the all the liquid creating by the cover has evaporated.

Let cool to room temperature. Gently fold the cooked quinoa and the cooked vegetables together along with the vinaigrette.

Serve room temperature or cold.

Makes 4 to 6 servings as a main dish.

A staple of the Incan warrior’s diet, quinoa (pronounced kin-wa) is an excellent addition to anyone’s nutrition regimen. While often mistakenly referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed that is related to leafy greens. Once known as “the gold of the Incas”, quinoa offered these warriors a powerful fuel that sustained them through battle. What differentiates quinoa from other healthy plants is that it offers complete protein, which is a full spectrum amino acid profile. Balancing your diet with quality sources of both animal and vegetarian sources of protein helps the body maintain a healthy pH for healthy living and athletic recovery.

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