Kale and Quinoa Pilaf
| Prep Time: 15 min | Serves: 6 |
| Cooking Time: 30 min | Yield: 6 cups |
This is my first quinoa recipe. I chose it because I have an awful lot of kale in the garden and it needs loving.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Onions, Diced
- 6 Garlic Clove
- 1 cup Quinoa, Dry
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
- 2 cups Kale
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/2 cup Celery, Raw
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, Fresh
- 1 tsp Thyme, Fresh
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
Directions
If you purchased quinoa in bulk, rinse it thoroughly in a fine strainer to remove its bitter coating. If you purchased Ancient Grains, Trader Joe's, or any other boxed brand, no rinsing is necessary.
Place quinoa in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to move the quinoa around. Cook until the quinoa becomes golden brown. Remove from heat.
Heat oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Add onions and sautee until just beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add quinoa and sautee for a minute. Add all remaining ingredients except for celery and pine nuts.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the celery and mix well, then cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until done. When quinoa is done, it should be tender and the spiral-like germ will have separated from the rest of the grain.
In the dry skillet used for toasting the quinoa, now lightly toast pine nuts over medium-low heat. Pine nuts burn quickly so stir them frequently and remove them from the pan the moment they appear golden brown. Stir into pilaf before serving.