Nothing tastes as good as a great salad, especially a great salad with good conversation! A couple of weeks ago two of my partners in mayhem, I mean friends, headed over to the cheesecake factory to discuss all of the dumbasses, I mean, unenlightened people in the world. What better place is there to go after a rough day in the Mom trenches? Nothing dulls the sting of folks not seeing things your way like a bite of cheese cake! My friends went right to the BBQ Chicken Salad but the Kale, Quinoa salad caught my eye! Surely the combination of kale and a super grain would offset the soon-to-follow dessert, right? Food choice justifications aside, I loved the salad and just had to try recreating it at home.  Marilou Patricia Sande

While you’re looking, check out some great soup recipes to go with the salad!

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Kale, Grape and Quinoa Salad

Easy to make Kale salad, inspired by the Cheese Cake Factory's Kale and Quinoa Salad.

Yield: 4 small servings or 2 large

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of kale (about 6 cups when sliced)
1 to 2 cup of red grapes
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon honey or 1 packet of Stevia (if you use Stevia, add slowly and taste)

Directions:

Cut kale into small thin strips, like you would cabbage, for coleslaw. Slice grapes into halves. Finely dice half a red bell pepper.

In a jar, add the lemon, shallot, oil, sweeter, and salt and pepper, and shake vigorously until well-mixed. I have kept the dressing quite tart as it goes well with the sweetness of the grapes, but you can add more sweetener to suit your own taste.

In a serving bowl, toss kale with salad dressing. Add in the grapes, sunflower seeds, quinoa and red bell pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve!

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