Accidentally Healthy: Another main dish salad (because I still have A Quinoa Problem)

I’ve been struggling with my weight for most of the last 20 years, for better or worse; ironically, I was at my healthiest weight during the 5-year stretch in which I was growing babies. For many years there was no pop, no snack foods, no fried foods, and plenty of vegetables in the house, since I was trying very hard to raise my kids to make healthy choices. Thanks to the gluten issues we’ve never really been about packaged foods or restaurants/fast food. I’ve joined various gyms and tried various “eating plans” (we don’t say “diet” anymore, LOL). Nonetheless, age and Cabernet have inevitably crept up on me.

The biggest legacy from my efforts at healthification is that I really love main dish salads. I’ve totally caved on pop and snacks and fried stuff (the almond boneless chicken last night was excellent); mostly now I concentrate on drinking lots of water and eating enough vegetables. Imagine my delight in finding a WHOLE ENTIRE COOKBOOK about this! Possibly it’ll be the first cookbook from which I cook every single recipe.

What’s not to love in a main dish salad? It’s a great way to pack in lots of veg and feel virtuous enough to justify ice cream later on. It’s almost impossible to over-eat and feel stuffed afterwards. They’re infinitely customizable for the picky eaters in the family. They even look pretty. BONUS: If you are in charge of providing dinner to a group that includes vegetarians and the gluten-free, you’ll have plenty of options that taste good and look pretty (in the event that you want to be a teeny bit impressive)(these are very impressive vegetarians/gluten-free people)(and yes, I’m a bit of a show-off when it comes to food).

Adapted for the actual contents of my fridge from SeriouslyGood Salads by Nicky Corbishley.

Squash, Kale, and Quinoa Salad 

1 butternut squash, or the equivalent amount of sweet potatoes
1 large onion, sliced vertically
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 ¼ cups vegetable stock
3 apricots, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces. The original recipe calls for small plums.
2 cups kale
3-4 cups chopped mixed lettuce (this is a great place for pre-made salad bags if that’s more convenient)
1 log goat cheese – 6 oz., I think? – cut into small cubes. I used garlic and herb goat cheese but plain would obviously be just as good because goat cheese. Keep it in the fridge until the last minute or the chopping process will result in gloppy irregular hunks (also delicious, because goat cheese).
1 cup mixed herbs; I used parsley, cilantro, mint, and dill

For the dressing:
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (fresh makes a difference here)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 375 (sorry about the oven part if you’re making this in the summer). Toss the squash or sweet potatoes and onions with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, combine the quinoa, stock, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork while it’s hot so it doesn’t turn into an unpleasant block.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. I did all the leafy stuff and tossed it, then the quinoa and tossed it, then the heavier things. This kept everything more evenly distributed. Just before serving, drizzle with the dressing and toss once more.

Ideally you’ll add the dressing while the quinoa is still hot so that it absorbs the dressing more readily, but it did just fine sitting for an hour in the car and getting the dressing while it was closer to room temperature. The heat from the vegetables and quinoa will wilt the kale enough to make the texture closer to that of the lettuce, which also gets a little wilty but in a good way; super-crunchy greens would be a little jarring with the other textures in this salad.