Simple Kale Salad with Avocado and Chickpeas

Lists of food trends have been showing up everywhere. Of course, not all publications are in agreement. Bon Appetit sees a movement away from brownies to blondies and bread getting so dressed up it gets its own course on menus. The Sterling-Rice Group predicts we'll see more pickling and curing. Mercury News predicts we'll see more vegetables taking center stage, with dishes like cauliflower steaks. Cooking Light predicts sexy vegetables will prevail, a movement away from kale toward lighter, newer greens such as komatsuna.

Threats about the end of the kale trend showed up too often for my liking, with inquires about what the new quinoa, kale and cupcakes would be.

Luckily for me, the Huffington Post is holding onto kale, just encouraging me to use it in lighter preparations.

And this preparation would certainly count as lighter. This kale salad couldn't be simpler. It's lightly dressed with a bit of olive oil and lime juice. Red chili flakes give it a suggestion of heat. The addition of avocado, red onion and chickpeas ensure you get something interesting in each bite.

Make it more of a dinner salad by boosting the protein with more chickpeas, sauteed tempeh or oven-roasted tofu.

Take a big bite, smile, and think about all the new food trends we have to explore this year!

Breakfast Quinoa with Coconut and Avocado

Are you sick of the typical breakfast? Are you over bagels and cream cheese, toast and peanut butter, oatmeal, and cereal?

If so, there's a chance that this could be the breakfast for you.

I say a chance because this is certainly an unusual breakfast. Here, quinoa, simmered in coconut milk, is topped with toasted coconut flakes and bits of avocado. I left the quinoa unsweetened because I'm not one for extra sugary dishes before work.

What you get is a unique bowl of food, loaded with protein and healthy fats, that will keep you fueled until lunchtime or beyond.

Of course, avocado is just one way that you could top this dish. Wouldn't it be delightful with bananas and pineapple? Fresh cherries? Whatever fresh fruit you have? Sweetened a bit with honey or maple syrup?

The possibilities are endless, but if you're up for it, I would give this combination a try. It's a lot of fun and certainly unique.