Powerhouse salad

I went on a long bike ride over the weekend-- almost twice as far as I've ever ridden before. I knew it would take about three and a half hours and that I'd need something to eat along the way, but it's a real pain to eat while you're riding. You have to stop for a break and then you don't want to sit around chewing a big meal. You want something absolutely packed with nutrients, satisfyingly filling (but not too dense), and most of all, tasty!

Walking through my garden the night before the ride, I noticed that the kale has really taken off. Coincidentally, kale has the highest ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) score. I harvested a big bunch and set about gathering other superfoods-- quinoa, soy (less processed tempeh), and flax oil.

The result is a sort of lunch or side dish that can be eaten hot or cold-- take it on your next picnic or 45 mile bike ride! A few people even used it as a pizza topping and enjoyed the full flavor over tomato sauce and crust.

Powerhouse (hot or cold) salad

vegan, gluten-free

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, run through a press or minced
• 6 sliced of tempeh bacon
• 1 cup uncooked, rinsed quinoa (I used red but white is my favorite)
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups chopped Italian or lacinato kale
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (try pomegranate syrup instead for an antioxidant punch)
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I used orange because it was already cut. Yellow would be nice, too)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon, about 1 tbsp
• 1 tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp flax oil

Directions

• Saute onion in olive oil with salt (it pulls out moisture and makes onions cook faster) on medium heat til it just starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic, stir for 1 minute. Crumble in the tempeh bacon and saute til the edges crisp golden.
• Add the quinoa (make sure to rinse it first), and saute as you would for a pilaf, about 5 minutes. Pour water and stock in, bring to a simmer, and cover for 15 minutes.
• Remove cover and stir in kale til it's moist and coated with the onion-quinoa mixture, about 3 minutes.
• Turn off heat, let cool for 5-10 minutes, and stir in the rest of the ingredients so that their fresh flavor isn't zapped by the heat from cooking.