Kale Quinoa Montmorency Tart Cherry Salad with Salmon

Ingredients

• Butternut Squash Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash (1/2 inch cubes)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• Salmon Ingredients:
• 2-7 ounce salmon filets
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 lemon slices
• Salad Dressing Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Montmorency tart cherry concentrate
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• Salad Ingredients:
• 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (hot or chilled)
• 1 cup dried Montmorency tart cherries
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Directions

Make Butternut Squash and Salmon:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss butternut squash with olive oil, rubbed sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to caramelize on edges.

Place Salmon, skin side down, in small baking dish or foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place lemon slices on top of filets. Roast for 15 minutes or until just opaque. Allow salmon to cool slightly before removing skin. Use fork to flake fish into chunks.

Make Salad Dressing:

While butternut squash and salmon are cooking, mix salad dressing ingredients in a bowl, liquid measuring cup, or jar with lid. Whisk or shake salad dressing until well combined. Set aside.

Assemble Salad:

Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze/massage kale leaves with clean hands for about 5 minutes or until leaves begin to tenderize and turn a dark glossy green. Toss kale with half of the salad dressing and set aside for 10 minutes.

Add quinoa, dried Montmorency Cherries, toasted walnuts, and butternut squash to the kale. Drizzle with remaining dressing and stir to combine. Gently fold in salmon and serve.

Tips:

Be sure to cut kale into small pieces and massage for at least 5 minutes to ensure tender delicious leaves.

Butternut squash and salmon can be cooked at the same time. Just add salmon to the oven halfway through the squash’s cooking time.

Butternut squash, salmon, and quinoa can be made the day before and mixed together before serving.

Salad can be tossed together with freshly cooked warm quinoa, butternut squash, and salmon for a warm salad, or assembled with precooked chilled ingredients for a cold salad.

Contributed by: Emily Caruso, jellytoastblog.com