From Kari Doherty
Yield: serves 2 or 3
Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is an ancient food eaten as a grain. Although not a true grain from the grass family, it is closely related to species such as beets and spinach. It is highly nutritious and acclaimed for its high protein value. Quinoa is gluten-free and can be eaten in place of rice or pasta. It’s a wonderful food that only takes 15-20 minutes to cook and is available at many local grocery stores. Quinoa is a wonderful compliment to fresh vegetables! Recipe contains dairy.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions
- 5 or 6 garlic scapes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 head of bok choi (or 1/2 pound spinach, or one bunch of turnip greens or kale)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Feta Cheese, optional
Steps:
- Quinoa is cooked similarly to rice using a 1 to 2 ratio of quinoa to water. Cook the half-cup of quinoa in one cup of water and simmer until the water has absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- To clean the bok choi, remove each leaf with its stem attached individually and wash. Once cleaned, chop the bok choi stems into bite-sized pieces and set aside in a separate bowl. Next, chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and also set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a hot pan. Next, add the bok choi stems and garlic scapes. Cook until the scapes and stems are tender and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the last tablespoon of butter to the hot pan. Place the bok choi leaves and only cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Add the wilted leaves to the scapes and stems in the mixing bowl.
- Add the cooked quinoa and the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl. Toss until thoroughly combined. Garnish each serving with feta cheese.
- This can be eaten on its own, used as a side dish, or put into a wrap. Eat it hot or cold, it’s delicious!
