Apple Kale Quinoa Salad + Cider Vinaigrette

The dog days of summer are finally here and all the fidget spinners are out of school! All the teachers be like "YEEAHHH!!!" and all the parents be like "yeeah...which camps are you signing your kiddo up for?"

But everyone...teachers, parents, and fidget spinners alike are definitely ready for picnics, outdoor shindigs, and BBQs! Especially since the last 9.578693 months were like the bad weather song that never ended. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was and...(sorry, are you now singing it?)

So let's talk about summer...cuz they'll continue singing it forever just because this is the song that never...Sorry again. Couldn't help it. I must need a fidget spinner. Wait...I have two already. Ages 7 and 4.

Anyways, about summa. Now that it's officially here, you and I need some tasty outdoor food. Food that not only travels well but is something tasty that can hang outside for a while without serving up a huge side dish of bacteria that will lay us and our stomachs flat out on the hot pavement for a week. All heads are nodding up and down in agreement.

Think picnic-perfect food. Here's a picture. Yum.

Let's break this salad down. 5 simple ingredients. We like simple, right? Heads nodding up and down again.

1. Purple kale: Nutrient-dense superfood vegetable. Think Iron, Calcium, vitamins A, C, & K just to name a few. Basically kale is the Wonder Woman of all the leafy greens. (Disclaimer: Eating kale does not mean you will become Wonder Woman, but that would be awesome if it did).
2. Quinoa: A tasty gluten-free superfood grain. Pronounced "keen-wah."
3. Dried cranberries: Here's the deal with buying dried cranberries. (Watch out...food snobbery about to unfold.) Buy dried cranberries that are sweetened with apple juice versus refined sugar. Refined sugar has its time and place but that time and place is not in my cranberries. These cranberries are my favorite, they're cultivated in my home state, and I can find them in my local grocery store. If you can't find them where you live just move to Portland, Oregon or buy them on Amazon.
4. Toasted walnuts: Toasting the walnuts takes them next level. Do it. Please and thank you. Or substitute with toasted pecans.
5. Sweet, juicy apples: Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples are my go-to but feel free to pick your favorite variety.

Okay, I lied. There's another component to this tasty salad...the cider vinaigrette.

You could buy cider vinaigrette OR YOU COULD MAKE IT. It's super simple and it satisfies that control freak part of me that enjoys having complete control over what goes in my food.

Just add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey (or agave for a vegan option), garlic, salt, and pepper to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it like a Polaroid picture for about 10 seconds (or before you throw out your back) and done. Simple, simple...simple.