What a favorite new kale recipe! It's no more than quinoa and kale cooked together in one pot, then tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette and a few kernels of corn. You might serve it on the side, you might choose it for Meatless Monday! Easy Weeknight Supper. Very Weight Watchers Freestyle Friendly. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free.
So. Confession time. You know that household chore you put off and put off and put off some more and then when you finally buck up and just do it, well, it takes all of ten minutes start to finish? (Except for the four months it took to get around to it in the first place.) Kale is like that for me, it's a bit of a chore, something I ought to buy/cook/eat more of but always put off. Then when I finally do, I'm half surprised to realize all over again, that "Hey! Kale is really good stuff!" And no chore at all!
Enter this quinoa, just quinoa and kale cooked at the same time in the same pot – yay, just one dish – then tossed with raw corn kernels and a lemon vinaigrette and topped with a few toasted walnuts and feta. That's it. Why did I put this off? You don't want to make the same mistake.
COMPLIMENTS! "WE LOVE IT. Very flavorful ..." ~ Julia
RECIPE for QUINOA PILAF with KALE & CORN
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Makes 4 cups
QUINOA & KALE
2 cups salted water
1 cup (165g) quinoa, rinsed well under running water
4 cups (about 3oz/85g) kale, washed well under running water, heavy stems removed & chopped
PILAF
1/2 cup corn, from 1 ear corn (How to Cut Corn Off the Cob)
2 green onions, chopped
Zest & juice of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
TO FINISH
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
QUINOA & KALE In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa and stir to distribute. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add the kale, press it into the quinoa and remaining liquid. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Check to make sure the kale is done (it should be slightly puffed and soft to the tooth) and remove from the heat. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
PILAF Collect the corn, green onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in the hot cooked quinoa and kale. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the walnuts and feta to serve.
NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup/Cup: 127/254 Calories; 5/9g Tot Fat; 1/2g Sat Fat; 2/4mg Cholesterol; 34/68mg Sodium; 18/35g Carb; 2/5g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 4/9g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 2.5/5 & WW PointsPlus 3/7 & WW SmartPoints 4/7 & WW Freestyle 1/2 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = 1/3 cup (3g protein).
TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks by Food52
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SEASONAL EATING: THIS SAME WEEK ACROSS THE YEARS
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A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
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