One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf
Alas, poor Yorick...
The stem ends of the kale, which was quite beautiful. If you can't find lacinato kale, you can use swiss chard or regular kale, or a mix of both.
The kale gets roughly chopped into wide strips.
Amanda shows off her brand-new (and very sharp) knife from Japan -- a great Christmas present!
Quinoa, although about the same size as couscous, cooks for longer -- here, it simmers, covered, for 15 minutes and then steams for another 5.
Have you ever seen a more beautiful cross section?
Here's Amanda's bright yellow citrus reamer! It's fabulous, and it really gets the job done -- with no seeds!
Amanda snatches the pine nuts off the stove just before they start to burn!
The kale goes right on top of the quinoa. With the cover on the pot, it steams until it's just tender but still has a bit of a bite.
The quinoa and kale will be tossed with all of these fresh flavors once they're cooked.
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A&M say: Deensiebat's pilaf breathes new life into a familiar classic. Both the quinoa and the hearty strips of lacinato kale (you can use chard or standard kale) crunch lightly between your teeth, and Meyer lemon juice and zest keep the quinoa from being bland. Fresh goat cheese and walnut oil just barely coat the warm pilaf, giving it a creamy, tangy finish, and toasted pine nuts lend some crunch. We love the technique of layering the quinoa and the kale and cooking it all in one pot. - A&M
deensiebat says: I initially developed this combination by combining sauteed kale with leftover quinoa, but have come up with a from-scratch method to cook both elements together perfectly. It satisfies the eternal resolution to eat healthy, teaming complete-protein quinoa with antioxidant-rich kale. And it's one-pot easy, making it a simple way to incorporate healthy eating into a worknight rotation.
Serves 2-4
- 2 cups salted water
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths
- 1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 scallions, minced
- 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- salt and pepper
- Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
- While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil if you desire), pine nuts, and goat cheese.
- Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.
- Your Best New Year's Resolution Dish Contest Winner!
3 days ago ChefFace
This made me ALMOST love quinoa, I still don't love it, but I liked it, I added some roasted butternut squash and walnuts in place of pine nuts. Thanks! I'm on my way to being a converted quinoa lover, I just know it!
3 days ago Colleen McAllister
Great. I bet the squash was really good.
3 days ago ChefFace
It was!! Creamy goodness with the little bites of goat cheese and tangy kale and lemon to offset it. :)
10 days ago hmoronez
Best recipe ever. It's amazing hot or cold.
1 day ago emf224
Agreed; so versatile. I’ve omitted the pine nuts and goat cheese and added broth to make soup. I’ve also substituted toasted pumpkin seeds and added chunks of mango to make a nice cold side dish. (Adding white beans or chickpeas make it a meal for me.)
10 days ago GeorgeaP
This is a staple recipe in my weekend routine. It's so easy and satisfying!
11 days ago rachel waters
This is such a favorite of mine...especially because I always have everything on hand and just need to pick up kale. Check out my blog post on it here:
http://feastoffashions...
12 days ago Deja Shepherd
i did not like this.
14 days ago Susige
I now make this with Toasted Sesame Oil instand of Walnut Oil and to me it tastes even better!
14 days ago Amanda Brothers
I love this recipe! I am vegan, so I skip the goat cheese and I'm allergic to pine nuts, so I skip those, too. But it's still delicious! It cooks up great if you follow the instructions. Easy and quick to cook, and so hearty and healthy. Four stars!
21 days ago The Junk Drunk
This is such an excellent recipe that I make frequently. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
http://thejunkdrunk.wordpress...
26 days ago Colleen McAllister
Thanks for the update.
26 days ago JKMurphy
There is a rebuttal to the NPR story that sheds some light. http://bearwitnesspictures...
23 days ago GrandmaGG
Thanks for posting this link, JKMurphy. It was a well written rebuttal and the blog interesting, too.
27 days ago BocaCindi
Thanks, Amreen on the update regarding Quinoa and the Peruvian farmers.
27 days ago Colleen McAllister
Wow! Just found it & have to find a substitute already. I'm sure there are other grains that would work.
27 days ago Colleen McAllister
This is so good. My first time cooking quinoa, loved it. I made kale chips with the extra kale. I did put the goat cheese in right before I served it so it kind of stayed together. Even my husband loved it!!
29 days ago amreen
I have been using and loving this recipe since it was posted three years ago! I recently read this article that is making me drop Quinoa and look for a substitute ... buying a product that the local communities (in this case the Peruvian farmers) can't even afford to buy (due to the increase in pricing because of consumers like us) is unconscionable to me .. any thoughts?!?1 http://www.guardian.co...
29 days ago daisybrain
I just finished reading the same article. Arsenic in rice, our consumption of quinoa causing poverty in the country in which its grown. Everything's broken.
29 days ago Andreakat
I love faro. I think it would be a great substitute in this this dish. Even better actually since I don't care for quinoa. I think most any sturdy grain would work as well. Bulger would be a good one maybe.
29 days ago goodskyogi
try these fair trade brands of quinoa. http://www.layapaorganic... and http://www.alterecofoods...
29 days ago amreen
oh wow! thank so much for these links!
29 days ago amreen
I am definately gonna have to try faro, never used it before! Its great to know that we can eat good and do good at the same time! I love the fair trade quinoa idea!
28 days ago PeteN
@amreen: I wouldn't pay any attention to that article - it was dreadfully poorly informed, inaccurate and misleading. Out of many problems with it (read the comments section for an idea of the breadth of errors): 1) The author implies that vegetarians carry responsibility for environmental damage through soy production in the Brazilian Amazon. Almost all soy (>95%) produced in Brazilian Amazonia is for export for cattle feed. She discredits herself significantly with this claim. 2) She provides no evidence that the (apparent, but not referenced) increase in quinoa price is the cause of the (apparent, but not referenced) decrease in local consumption. It is equally likely that farmers who are earning more from quinoa sales are choosing to buy more 'western' foods - this is the trend globally, regardless of whether more traditional foods remain available.
27 days ago thirschfeld
fyi, more on the above story http://bearwitnesspictures...
25 days ago FrancineL
Very interesting! Thank you for the link thirschfeld. For the other links above, be aware of what you read; it is not always what it seems like
about 1 month ago Joyce Therieault
I made this for my family and cooked the kale a little bit longer so it wasn't bitter at all. If it is bitter it could be because the kale isn't fresh. I used olive oil instead of the walnut oil. It was excellent. My teenage kids loved it, and so did the adults.
about 1 month ago moonieq2
Made this tonight for a book release party. I used feta, since I don't like goat cheese, and used olive oil and a couple dashes of sesame oil. It was awesome!
about 1 month ago Katrin Schulz
made this last night... it was great! Had it for brunch today with a fried egg on top. also delicious!
about 1 month ago millicent
I have made this recipe twice in one week because it is so delicious, fresh and light on the palette.
The lemon zing is strong and may not be to everyone's taste so be mindful when seasoning with the extra juice. Also I definitely recommend using the best quality fetta as it's taste and creaminess is complimented with the lemon taste. When i made this for single serve for myself one evening, i had no fetta so I substituted yoghurt. Tasted a treat.
Will definitely make again and again, and so easy.
Thanks for sharing.
about 1 month ago shozgirl
Made recently, so simple and healthy. Definitely adds interest to what can be boring. Made enough that hubby took for lunch and froze a pint as well.
about 1 month ago Denise Browning
Just to let you know that this dish made the list of the 25 mouthwatering dishes from different blogs in From Brazil To You...Cheers!