Napa Valley Grille’s Kale Chopped Salad

I have made this for two discerning groups of women; my book club and Mah Jongg group, and both declared it Heronearth worthy. It was published in the LA Times and was described as the kind of healthy, interesting dish you could eat every day.  The waitress who recommended it said she did exactly that.  It’s full of chopped kale, romaine,quinoa, almonds, raisins and Parmesan cheese tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette.  Really good.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Juice of 3 lemons and grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 anchovy fillet, minced

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Sea salt

finely ground pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, shallot , anchovy,cheese, and basil.  Season to taste with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. This makes slightly more than one-half cup vinaigrette, more than is needed for the recipe.  It will keep covered in the refrigerator up to one week.

Kale Salad

1/4 cup quinoa

1 romaine heart, chopped

1 head green kale, chopped

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Lemon Vinaigrette

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.

2.  Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse under cool running water to remove the outer coating (if not rinsed, the coating can give the quinoa a bitter flavor.)  Place the rinsed quinoa in a dry saute pan and toast, stirring frequently until the quinoa is dry, lightly colored,and  has a nutty aroma.

3.Place the toasted quinoa in the saucepan with the water, reduce the heat and simmer the quinoa until it’s translucent and tender and the germ has spiraled out from the grain, 12 to 15 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook.)  Drain the quinoa and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool.

4.  In a large bowl, combine the romaine, kale, quinoa, almonds, raisins and Parmesan cheese. Add 1/4 cup cup vinaigrette and toss to lightly coat.  Add additional dressing as desired and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6

Note:  Two excellent suggestions …Kim added chicken and avocado for a complete meal at dinner, and Deb used Trader Joe’s honey roasted sliced almonds.