Okay! So I promised a recipe with kale and quinoa in it so here it is! This is a recipe I found on Food52, which is a great site with recipes and cooking tips and just all things food. This is a kale and quinoa pilaf, which is rice that is usually cooked with seasoned broth. You can check out the original recipe here, but I’ve made a few tweaks of my own because I don’t know any college student that can tell the difference between walnut oil and olive oil (and to make it a bit tastier).

Ingredients:

1 bushel of kale

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. salt

1/4 vidalia sweet onion, chopped

1 (stalk?) green onion

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. chili garlic sauce

1. Roll the kale (along the stalk) and slice across the kale to make about 1/2 inch slices.

2. Bring the water to a boil and add the 1 1/2 tbsp. of salt. Put the quinoa in the boiling water and cover for 10 minutes on high then lower to medium heat. Add the onions and kale after 10 minutes and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

3. While the quinoa, kale and onions are cooking, put the scallions, the olive oil, and the chili garlic sauce into a bowl and mix well.

4. If the quinoa is still hard in the center, simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Once it’s finished, drain any excess water and then add everything to the bowl of the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Nice and easy! It’s not incredibly rich or heavy or decadent, but it is still pretty tasty and there are a ton of nutrients and protein. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to put them in the comment section below!

Side notes:

Any kind of kale/quinoa will do. I used tri-colored quinoa just because it’s prettier and makes for better pictures but there isn’t much difference in the different types. I also used chili garlic sauce because I think it adds a bit of spice and flair to the dish, while not adding a ton of calories. But it can be taken out if you’re not a fan of spicy. I also took out the goat cheese and toasted pine nuts, but the goat cheese does add an excellent creaminess and tanginess, again without a ton of calories.