Adair Kitchen's Kale & Quinoa Salad {Trying to Lose that Baby Weight}

Lately my attempt at cutting these extra post-pregnancy pounds has been slow and at times down right discouraging. Per my doctors orders any workouts involving a tight sports bra are out if I want to continue breastfeeding, which of course I do, so I've had to shift my focus from cardio to weights, yoga and of course, my diet. Boooo!

I try and start every day with a green smoothie, usually using Sarah's recipe found here, and then for lunch I try and make this salad or something like it. My thought is these 2 healthy options surely cancel out my nightly vino, right? ;)

Luckily this salad is delicious. I constantly craved it when I was pregnant with Donovan and not much has changed, except now I make it at home verses spending $12 and battling the galleria traffic. I love you Adair Kitchen, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do…..

So, without further ado:

 {Shredded Kale & Quinoa Salad with Chicken}

Disclaimer: I would have NEVER ordered this salad. To me, the whole kale/quinoa fad bugged and sounded blah. However, I was having some belly aches from the crap I was eating while pregnant, so in an attempt to eat healthier I ordered this, and as you can see, it was love at first bite. 

What you need:

• 1 Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Shredded Kale
• Feta Cheese Crumbles
• Dried Cranberries
• Quinoa (keen-wah)
• 1 chicken breast
• Tony Chachere's (optional, but you should definitely use it)

Chicken//

I bake my chicken because it's fast and easy.

• Set oven to 400 degrees
• Massage chicken breast with lemon juice from half a lemon and about 2 tbsp of olive oil. {more lemon never hurts, hell more olive oil never hurts, this is really personal preference}
• Sprinkle Tony C's on both sides. {Tony C's changed my life}
• Place in pan in oven for 20-22 minutes. 
• DATS IT

QUINOA//

Quinoa is very simple and the directions on how to cook should be on the package, but just in case:

• Combine 3/4c of quinoa with 1 1/2c of water or broth
• Bring to boil
• Reduce to low, cover & cook for 10 minutes
• Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered
• All done, son.

SALAD//

• Use about 2 handfuls of kale ^^
• Squeeze the other half of your lemon onto the salad and add about 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. 
• Massage, massage, massage! {The trick in getting kale to not taste like crap is to massage them greens real good! So get your hands lemon-y and olive oil-y as you massage the yuck away}

BRING IT ALL TOGETHER//

• Add the baked chicken
• Add a dollop of quinoa
• Add a handful of dried cranberries
• Sprinkle crumbled feta

TOSS DAT SALAD & VOILA//

So that's it!

I probably should have taken a better pic, but I was hungry, I'm always hungry, it's the Murdock curse, (my mom's side of the family).

Note: It's a pretty big salad, but after nursing baby boy I'm typically starving, so I wolf this down with no problem, you may have enough to share with someone.

See, everybody's happy, especially lil butterball^^ 
(We love selfies.)

love, bohoBoolie