Welcome to the first recipe of 2014! It felt great to get back into the kitchen this weekend and start experimenting with some new recipes. The holidays can be an indulgent time of year and I’ll admit that I do love all the hearty meals and decadent treats, but it also feels good to get back on track too.
During a post-holiday grocery shopping trip last week, I tossed quinoa, kale and goat cheese into the cart without thinking about what I’d make them into. Then I was going through my blog idea notebook on the weekend and spotted the words “quinoa pilaf” scribbled down. That sounded like a great idea!
I headed to the kitchen with my ingredients in hand and got to work making a delicious pilaf with a creamy goat cheese dressing and two of my favourite “super foods” – quinoa and kale. It turned out to be a great side dish for our dinner and even better as leftovers packed up for work week lunches.
What you’ll need:
Makes 6 servings · Printable Version
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 bunch kale, chopped (about 8 cups)
- 4 oz crumbled goat cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
Bring broth to a boil in a large pot, covered. Add quinoa, lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add chopped kale to the top of the quinoa and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for another 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the goat cheese, green onions, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Fluff the quinoa and kale in the pot and then add to the other ingredients. Toss to combine. The heat of the quinoa and kale will melt the goat cheese and make it creamy. Taste and season as needed.
Enjoy!
