with blue cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts
I wasn’t sure whether to call this a salad or a pilaf. I guess if you eat it cold, it’s a salad. If you eat it warm, it’s a pilaf, right? Or maybe it’s a skillet casserole?
It can be a side dish … or a delicious meatless meal. The quinoa, walnuts and cheese all provide protein, so you don’t really need a “main course” alongside. What I love about mushrooms is they taste so substantial and meaty, especially when they’re roasted, yet they add mostly nutrition and hardly any calories to your meal.
Did I tell you guys the story about the second best blue cheese in the world, that comes from the cheese caves in Faribault, MN? One of my yoga friends was working for a few weeks there and he went exploring and found signs for a cave, except they wouldn’t let you go into the caves because that would disturb the CHEESE. Apparently these caves have just the right temperature and humidity and other special cheese conditions that the caves in Europe where they make the best blue cheese in the world. Who knew there were perfect cheese-making conditions in middle America? He gave me a bit of this precious cheese and it is SOooooo good.
So I had to sprinkle a bit of that fabulous blue cheese on this salad/pilaf/dinner thing that I made … and it was marvelous. I reveled in the glory of the salty, meaty mushrooms, the light bitterness of the sauteed kale and the nutty quinoa. Avocado oil is the perfect mild-tasting oil for making this dish … it tastes so luscious and you only need just a tiny bit of it. I have recently discovered avocado oil and am really loving the delicate flavor of it and also how well it stands up to heat.
I shared this pilaf/salad with a yoga friend, and then divided the rest into smaller portions so I could enjoy it a couple more times. And now I’m wishing I had just a little more … maybe it’s time to make it again!
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Roasted Mushroom Kale Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 - 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
To roast the mushrooms:
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, cut into quarters
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
For the rest:
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 small crookneck summer squash, chopped
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic
- About 5 cups fresh chopped kale
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- For the top: Blue cheese crumbles & toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the mushrooms with 1 Tablespoon avocado oil and the soy sauce. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
- Now, in a medium/large frying pan, heat the teaspoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Add the squash and garlic and saute for several minutes until the squash is tender. Add the kale and stir until the kale is wilted. Stir in the quinoa.
- Serve hot or cold topped with blue cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts.
Notes
For a gluten free recipe, make sure to use gluten free soy sauce for the mushrooms.
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
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This post was shared at Foodie Friends Friday, Gluten Free Friday, Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup and Let’s Get Real.
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