Quinoa Kale Roasted Walnut Salad

Plant-based Christmas feast from Pheeb's Foods QUINOA, KALE & ROASTED WALNUT SALAD WITH A CREAMY CHIVE DRESSING

While Christmas is traditionally a time for roast turkey, glazed ham, seafood banquets, buttery sauces and cream filled pavlovas; new research indicates that 37% of Australians are now actively reducing their meat consumption, while 10% are actually vegan or vegetarian, meaning more plant-based feasts will be on table this Christmas than ever before.

Recipe by Phoebe Ann Conway:
Phoebe Ann Conway is a 27 year-old practicing nutritionist, food photographer and recipe developer from Adelaide, Australia. For more follow her Instagram here: @pheebsfoods

Ingredients:
2 cups raw walnuts
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 large bunch of kale
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 radish thinly sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ of a red onion diced

DRESSING
½ cup raw cashews

½ - ¾ cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
Juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
½ tsp onion powder
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp roughly chopped chives

Method:
1. Pre heat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Mix together the maple syrup, oil, turmeric and salt + pepper and pour this over the walnuts, stir well to ensure each nut is coated.
3. Spread the walnuts out over the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure the edges don't burn, set aside to cool.
4. Place the chopped kale in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and salt and use your hands to massage the kale until is has softened.
5. Add the rest of the salad ingredients including the cooled walnuts, when ready to serve drizzle over some of the creamy cashew dressing.

Dressing:
1. Place all ingredients apart from the chives into a blender, starting with ½ cup almond milk, and blend until smooth.
2. If the dressing is too thick add some additional almond milk to thin, once ready stir through the chopped chives and serve alongside the salad.

Quotes:
"This salad just looks like Christmas in a bowl! It combines red cranberries, massaged kale and some sweet crunchy maple roasted walnuts to make the perfect side salad. I just love the mixture of textures too. I also created a delicious creamy chive dressing using Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk keeping it vegan whilst also rich and creamy. It should be drizzled on top of the salad just before serving."