Lemon & Garlic Caramelized Quinoa and Kale Salad
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
March 24th, 2023
Hello my darlings,
Early spring is such a frustrating time of year with its finicky weather patterns. In Idaho, we’ve been getting SNOW still, in late March. I expected this when I lived in Washington but this behavior is so out of character for Idaho. This recipe for Lemon & Garlic Caramelized Quinoa and Kale Salad is the perfect way to combat the cold weather and desire for spring! A salad served hot with the fresh flavors of lemon: perfect balance.
Superfood Salad with Quinoa and Kale
Quinoa and Kale are both superfoods. Superfoods are nutrient dense foods that are considered to be very beneficial to your health. Some other examples of superfoods are avocados, goji berries, black garlic, walnuts, salmon, kefir, lentils, etc.
Kale
Kale has a very unique taste and texture. It’s stiff and a little bit peppery. Therefore it’s great for this recipe because it holds its texture even when cooked unlike spinach which reduces into a mush. Kale is full of vitamin C, E, and K which help to make the skin more supple and protect it from aging. It also contains lutein which aids in speeding up collagen production.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a great substitute for carbohydrates like pasta and rice. While I super love carbohydrates, our body doesn’t need a whole lot of those. Excessive carbs can lead to insulin spikes or even insulin resistance which can produce inflammation and breakouts. Quinoa is also full of riboflavin to give your skin a boost in elasticity to boost the resilience and softness of your skin. Vitamin B can also be found in Quinoa, useful for rejuvenating the texture of your skin. Deficiencies in Vitamin B can lead to acne, rashes, cracked lips, fine lines & wrinkles as well as dry & flaky skin.
Lemon
The citric acid from lemons and the vitamin c are powerful brightening agents as well as being antifungal and antibacterial.
Olive Oil
Olive oil’s most powerful ingredient is squalene which works to combat anti-aging by by strengthening skin cells, reducing inflammation and protecting your skin from UV rays. It also contains vitamin E which prevents your skin from drying out and enhances your skin’s suppleness.
Citrus and Kale Vitamin C & E Masque
This recipe pairs best with the Citrus and Kale Vitamin C & E Masque. This masque is a potent, cream-gel mask great for all skin types. Harness the natural power of Vitamins C+E with a boost of vitamins to improve the appearance of skin with a blend of citrus, leafy greens and avocado oil that helps reduce the look of drying environmental damage, as well as fine lines and wrinkles. Oh and it smells like a superfood smoothie.
Tips for Cooking Quinoa and Kale
Make sure to always wash your produce in a mixture of sea salt and baking soda or a good produce wash to remove pesticides. Watch your quinoa while it’s caramelizing, you don’t want it to stick to the bottom of the pan so if you need to add oil or ghee to prevent this from happening please do so. I like to add my parmesan flakes after my salad has cooled slightly so they don’t melt at all and I am a big fan of adding even more lemon to make it extra tangy!
Bon appetit my darlings! I’ve enjoyed this recipe at least four times this month alone. It is so easy and honestly, so inexpensive to make which is key right now with the price of organic groceries these days.
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
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