Strawberry Kale Quinoa Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

One of my suggestions when making a kale salad is to tear the kale into small pieces but rub it together and through your hands while you are ripping it apart. It breaks the kale down and makes it much less rough & bitter, it will make the kale brighter green too. I promise the coconut bacon on this just makes it THAT much better. You want to put it on there. Make some & have left overs! I don't put lots of dressing on the salad when it's in the large bowl, I kind of wait until I'm about to eat it and put it over the top then add the coconut bacon.

Salad
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water
1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces
6-8 strawberries, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 green onions including white part, sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
coconut bacon to taste (for topping)
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice (optional)

Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
1 1/2 cups strawberries (fresh)
1/4 cup coconut vinegar (not coconut flavored vinegar) can sub white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup coconut sugar

Salad: In a large bowl, put the torn kale. After the quinoa is cooked and has cooled for at least 5 minutes, add it over the top of the kale and toss with 1/2 cup of the strawberry vinaigrette. Now add the rest of the salad ingredients over the top, except the coconut bacon (save that for when it is plated). Drizzle with a bit of the dressing.

Dressing: Throw it all in the blender and blend for 1 minute.

Summer-Fruit Quinoa Pilaf (GF, Vegan)

I was just using the fruits that I had in the kitchen and needed to use before they went bad. You can use almost whatever fruit combo you like, quinoa really lends itself to becoming a mixed dish. I've done this with mango, peach, plum & strawberry. I've also done strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry and pretty much whatever in between. Cooking it with some apple juice gives the quinoa a bit sweeter taste, you can easily cook it without.

Serves4-6 (side servings)

1 cup water
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
1 peach chopped
1 plum chopped
2 tbs agave nectar (or sweetener of choice, like honey)
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp real salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
optional 1/4 cup pepitas

Bring the water and apple juice to a boil, then add quinoa and turn heat down to low, cover. Allow to cook for 20 min, remove from heat and allow to sit and cool for 10 min. Fluff quinoa and add it to large bowl with the other ingredients. Can be served warm or cold.