I know, I know - kale and quinoa. What a cliche...
That said, before you start to hate me, this dish has a lot going for it. It's quick, a much nicer way of eating kale than putting it raw into salads and other such nonsense, and the quinoa can very easily be switched for any other whole grain. Buckwheat, bulgar wheat, and brown rice all work well in this recipe.
What's the A to V?
Quinoa is a wholegrain - something all of us could do with more of in our diets. Refined grains, found in things like white bread and white flour, have had their endosperm (no sniggering at the back please), germ, or bran removed during processing. Unfortunately, the endosperm is also where we can find a lot of the nutrients, so swapping a few portions of white, or unrefined carbs for the brown or wholegrain varieties each week is a great idea.
Quinoa is therefore rich in vitamins B1 and B2, as well as folate (B9) and magnesium. The orange in this recipe provides a nice hit of vitamin C and vitamin A, while kale is high in vitamin K, vitamin C, A and folate (B9) as well as calcium.
Ingredients (serves 4):
160 g of quinoa or other wholegrain (roughly 40 g per person)
Zest of half an orange
A handful of pecans, crumbled
1 tbsp of soy sauce (or tamari)
3 large handfuls of kale
1 tsp of olive oil
Method
Bring a pan of water to the boil, and then add your quinoa. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has started to separate, revealing the 'C' shaped germ of the kernel (as in picture to the right). Drain.
Meanwhile, heat your oil in a pan, and when hot add in your kale. When the kale starts to cook, add in your soy sauce and stir until soft and starting to brown and crisp.
Add your drained quinoa to the same pan as your stirfried kale, sprinkle over your orange zest, and stir on a low heat for no more than a minute.