Warm quinoa, kale and grape salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 750 ml (3 cups) water
• 5-6 green kale leaves
• 4 carrots
• 1 lemon
• 80 ml  (⅓ cup) olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper, to season
• 1 cup raw hazelnuts
• 1 cup red grapes
• lemon zest and thyme leaves, to garnish (optional)

Dressing

• 1 grapefruit
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp honey
• a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

To make the salad, place the quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is just tender. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Rinse, drain and roughly chop the kale leaves. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into ribbons. Place in a big bowl, squeeze over the lemon juice and add the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and combine with your hands.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry the kale mixture for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Place the hazelnuts in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes or until toasted. Meanwhile, wash the grapes and cut in half.

To make the dressing, squeeze the grapefruit juice into a glass. Add the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Combine with a spoon.

Add the kale mixture, toasted hazelnuts and grapes to the quinoa. Pour over the dressing and, with a big spoon, mix all the ingredients. You can also add some lemon zest and thyme as a final touch.

Recipe from In The Making by Belén by Belén Vázquez Amaro, with photographs by Belén Vázquez Amaro.