Sesame Kale Salad with Millet and Sprouted Beans

I have a secret and I feel that I am compelled to confess.  First, let me start by saying I love me some kale. I'm on that damn kale bandwagon, people. Seriously. I'm vegan...how could I not be? Well, here goes, I am kind of embarrassed to tell you that I am not all that into kale salads. What!? Oh, for shame! I know, I know...I have at least a handful of kale salad recipes here on my very own site.

It's true though, you know. They're just not really my bag. I will sometimes enjoy the occasional kale salad, however, I am very particular about them. They have to be pretty exceptional for me to really enjoy them and let's just say that this Sesame Kale Salad with Millet and Sprouted Beans blew my socks clean off, you guys! 

This is the best freaking kale salad I've ever had. Scratch all those other kale salad recipes you've got floating around and make this one instead. It is sooooo good. A new staple in our house for sure. Even Todd, Captain Vegan Junk Food Man, liked it. Todd...enjoying a kale salad...what is happening?! 

Creamy millet, hearty beans, sweet carrot ribbons and a flavorful sesame dressing with toasted sesame seeds all mingle with salted, massaged kale to make up my new favorite kale salad.

Hey, I think I actually do like kale salad afterall...

Sesame Kale Salad with Millet and Sprouted Beans 

Makes 6 large servings

Inspired by the lovely Scandi Home

• --For The Salad--
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups sprouted bean trio, dry
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup millet
• 1 cup water
• 1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
• --For The Dressing--
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar or erythritol 
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 green onion, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and when the oven reaches temperature, bake them for about 10 minutes or until just browned and fragrant. Careful not to let them burn.

In a large saucepan bring the dry beans and 4 1/2 cups water to a boil. Then cover, and turn down to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 20-30 minutes. Test the beans for your preferred doneness. Drain, rinse and set aside for later.

In a small saucepan add the millet only and toast over medium heat for a few minutes. Then, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Cover, and turn down to a simmer. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit, covered for about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside for later. 

Add the kale to a large salad bowl and sprinkle it with the salt. Massage the kale for a minute or two. This will make it a little more tender. Add in the carrot ribbons and the sesame seeds and toss to mix. 

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or pitcher and whisk well to combine. 

Add the cooked beans to the kale and toss well to mix. Then, drizzle in the dressing and add the cooked millet and toss well to combine. Make sure to break up any millet clumps. Break it up, millet!

Serve at room temperature, then refrigerate any leftovers. 

[yumprint-recipe id='7'] 

Mango Salsa Black Beans + Red Coconut Rice

I'm not sure what exactly it is. The older I get the less I'm able to tolerate bullshit benightedness (I love Word of The Day). The less I can accept it. I don't know why. I just don't have the mental stamina or the tolerance in the capacity that is needed to deal with it. Maybe, I'm just getting meaner? Doubtful. Maybe, at this point in my life I have better things to do. Probably. Maybe, I've just realized that being the nice girl with no opinions is innocuous, downright vapid, and horridly lame. Most likely. Yes, at this rate I will be a downrightmean old opinionated lady. No, that's not true. I won't. Just because you're old doesn't mean you're allowed to be rotten. I'm sorry, it doesn't. I don't care how many great grandchildren you have. It's no excuse. Maybe, it's the German I'm learning. I'm almost halfway done! Woot, woot! Level 8! Yes, I'm still rockin' it over at Duolingo and I think you should too. However, quite possibly, it's simply that I happen to be riding a streak of sassiness.

Well, at any rate, this Mango Salsa Black Beans + Red Coconut Rice was absolutely delicious and the perfect meal for my newfound boldness. Creamy black beans melt with fluffy lime coconut rice and garnished with cilantro and mango salsa.  This dish can be best summed up by Todd, "It's got a lot going on." Much like me.

Now go make this dish. Challenge your ideals and question your actions. Research your information and form personal opinions. Try to be better than you are right now. Most of all though, be wary of insipidness and ignorance.It's ubiquitous. That's the advice for today. Just try to avoid all the morons.

Mango Salsa Black Beans + Red Coconut Rice

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

Creamy black beans melt with fluffy lime coconut red rice and garnished with cilantro and mango salsa.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup red rice, dry
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup mango salsa

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Scatter coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Ensure that they don't burn. Once they turn a tan color, remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan bring the rice, vegetable broth, water, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, and pepper to a boil over high heat. Give it a good stir, then once it reaches a boil, cover and turn down to simmer for about 45 minutes or until all the water is gone and the rice is fluffy. Towards the end, give it a few more good stirs to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more water as needed. Red rice seems to take a lot of water I've noticed. If you're using different rice, then adjust accordingly.*
3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in the chili and chipotle chili powder and saute a few minutes, then add the chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Next, add the beans and 1 cup water and allow to simmer over low heat, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Remove the beans from heat after the 20 minutes and add the coconut, lime juice and cilantro. Stir well to combine. Serve the beans over the rice and top with ¼ cup mango salsa.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:50
Total time: 01:00
Yield: 4 servings

Save Money!

I buy my red rice here. It’s only $0.14 per oz versus $0.34 per oz at our local grocery store!

---

Other recipes you may like

Chickpea Artichoke Rice with Lambsquarter Greens

Teriyaki Romanesco & Beet Bowl

Sweet Potato & Balsamic Black Beans

Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry

For fun, what am I listening to? Blitzen Trapper – Furr

Healthy Baked Beans with Rainbow Chard and Quinoa

Confession time! I've only had baked beans probably like twice in my entire life. I think both times I found them as side dishes that someone brought to some random BBQ. Why only twice? I can't be sure, but maybe it's because I've never liked ribs and baked beans usually accompany ribs. Right? Eh, who knows. My family certainly never made them, though I don't know if there was a particular reason for that. Maybe they're not really an Alaska thing? Or maybe baked beans are something that my family just never really embraced. A shame I should think, reflecting.

Either way, I have embraced them. I saw this vegan recipe for baked beans a little while back and for about a week now, I have been transfixed, yearning for baked beans! I'm so weird. Hey, if it's sweet, I'm on board.

So, these I am sure are not "authentic"...whatever that means with regards to baked beans. I'll freely admit I have no idea. I can tell you though, that this dish was awesome. It was sweet, creamy, warm and comforting. The best part may have been how super easy it was to make. With Todd's birthday party tomorrow (I'll be making homemade veggie burgers, vegan potato salad, grilled corn on the cob and a surprise homemade cake) and working to get back into the swing of things with work and home, I just didn't have time or energy to make something that required a lot of effort. Okay, any effort. Other effortless meals this week included pasta with beet greens, Amy's dairy-free bean burritos and copious smoothies. I didn't record those though. Sorry!

Doesn't that look like the perfect end-of-summer-beginning-of-fall meal? Yes, I agree that it does.

So, if you're short on time but don't want to sacrifice a great, nutritious and comforting early fall meal, then this dish is for you!

Healthy Baked Beans with Rainbow Chard and Quinoa

Inspired by the wonderful Girl Makes Food

Serves 4-6

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• 1 large bunch of rainbow chard, washed, de-stemmed and chopped (or kale, spinach or any kind of chard)
• 1-2 large handfuls of spinach
• 2 tsp. stone ground mustard
• 2 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup vegan BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder
• sprinkle of ground black pepper

Bring the water to boil in a small saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa and stir. Turn to low and allow to simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Once done cooking, fluff with a fork.

While quinoa does it's thing, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion, pepper, spinach and rainbow chard. Saute for about 5 minutes over low heat.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the saucepan with the onion, red pepper and greens, along with the remaining ingredients.

Cover, turn to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve the baked bean mixture over a bed of quinoa and enjoy!

That was easy enough, right?

I am fairly ignorant to proper baked beans, so if you have a family or a favorite baked bean recipe let me know! I'd love to hear about it. Are beans popular where you live? I imagine they're found a lot in the South. I have no science to back me up on this one, it's just a hunch.

Healthy Baked Beans with Rainbow Chard and Quinoa

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Katie - Produce On Parade

Serves: 4-6

If you’re short on time but don’t want to sacrifice a great, nutritious and comforting fall meal, then this dish is for you!

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• 1 large bunch of rainbow chard, washed, de-stemmed and chopped (or kale, spinach or any kind of chard)
• 1-2 large handfuls of spinach
• 2 tsp. stone ground mustard
• 2 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup vegan BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder
• sprinkle of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring the water to boil in a small saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa and stir. Turn to low and allow to simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Once done cooking, fluff with a fork.
2. While quinoa does it’s thing, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion, pepper and rainbow chard. Saute for about 5 minutes over low heat.
3. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the saucepan along with the remaining ingredients.
4. Cover, turn to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve the baked beans mixture over a bed of quinoa and enjoy!

3.2.1251

I had lots of yellow leaves on my car this morning. Fall is coming. Now back to preparing for a special birthday!