While Snow Storm Jonas was gorgeous and cleansing and quiet and peaceful, the aftermath of nearly 27 inches of snow fall in less than one day is pretty messy. Dirty, wet, icy slushiness on every street corner makes it difficult to get where you need to be at a certain time. And since I refuse to wear my heavy firefighter snow boots to work, I have to do lots of walking around, going way out of the way and sometimes a bit into the road, just to cross the street. Whereas when I wear my heavy duty snow boots, I feel like some unstoppable force, where I can trudge through the deepest puddles and coldest snow and most slippery ice and still not fall and manage to keep my socks dry.
Oh, the lovely Januaries.
I also cannot believe it's only Wednesday, because this week I have already done so many things:
- dirtied up my (fairly new) boots from the muddy slush
- jammed the copy machine
- finished my second spin class (!)
- shoveled snow for one hour (or...mostly watched Kyle shovel the snow)
- processed 23548719845618974151997213 emails, or what feels like it at least
- ate a bagel and a donut in the same day because trudging through snow has me starving 24/7 and, help I'm surrounded by bakeries!
The best part of the day though is when I get to come home to a warm and cozy apartment and to a husband who has been cooking really good dinners as of late. Kyle, I think you should guest post that bacon-wrapped, sour-cream-and-cheese-stuffed chicken!
I love that citrus season happens in the coldest and dreariest of months because it is like a bright pop of color amidst all of the snow. The grapefruit in this winter citrus salad could be swapped out for blood oranges, mandarins, or any other citrus fruit. I squeezed the extra grapefruit juice into some olive oil to make its own vinaigrette. Also, toasting the almonds really bring out a nutty and earthy flavor and gives the salad a whole new crunch.
Kale and Quinoa Winter Citrus Salad w/ a Grapefruit Olive Oil Vinaigrette (serves 1-2)
Ingredients:
- 2 large handfuls of kale, washed, stems removed
- 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 large grapefruit, sliced thinly
for the grapefruit vinagrette
- 1/4 cup good olive oil, such as California Olive Ranch
- juice of 1/2 large grapefruit
- 1 tbl. honey
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions: To make the grapefruit olive oil vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a small jar or bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat, and add almonds. Stirring occassionally, toast for 1-2 minutes or until almonds give off a warm, nutty aroma. Feel free to chop into smaller pieces or keep whole. In a large mixing bowl, combine kale, cooked quinoa, and toasted almonds. Toss lightly with vinaigrette, and set on a large plate. Top with sliced grapefruit!
This post features olive oil from California Olive Ranch. Be sure to check out their site and cool recipes!