Kale and Broccoli Quinoa

Looking for something green to dress up the table for St. Patrick’s this year? This side dish is full of color and flavor. It’s so good, you’ll forget it’s good for you!

I first had a version of this at my brother’s house while visiting him in California. They were going through a health kick and I remember it actually being slightly bland, definitely healthy. It was good, but I knew it could be better. Once I tweaked the ingredients, this dish began bursting with flavor, while still maintaining it’s healthy aspect. This dish does involve a little bit of prep work, but after you’ve got the washing and chopping done, it’s pretty easy sailing from there. The broccoli in this recipe is steamed, but if you want to go the extra step, this would be absolutely delicious with roasted broccoli or even roasted brussels sprouts. I love making this as an easy, filling side dish for any chicken or fish dinner, but it’s also great as a base for grain bowls, or you can even use it to bulk up salads.

Kale and Broccoli Quinoa

===========
* prep time: 10 minutes
* cook time: 20 minutes
* total time: 30 minutes
* servings: 4

===========

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup dry quinoa
– 3/4 - 1 cup water or broth
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1/4 cup diced onion
– 2 cloves or 1 tbsp minced garlic
– 1/3 cup chicken broth
– 1 tbps or a splash of white wine
– 1 medium head of broccoli
– 1 bunch of kale
– Salt
– Pepper
– Juice of half a lemon
– Parmesan cheese

===========

Instructions:

1. Add water or broth to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Rinse the quinoa under cool water. Add to the boiling liquid and lower the heat. Cook covered for 15 minutes then let stand for 5 minutes.
   
   
2. In the meantime, wash the broccoli and kale. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Remove the kale stems and break into bite-size pieces.
   
   
3. Add the olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
   
   
4. Add the splash of white wine and let cook off for about a minute. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer then add in the broccoli and kale. Reduce the heat and cover for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
5. Mix in the cooked quinoa and lemon juice, and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan cheese.
   
   

===========

Notes:
– Make sure to break up the broccoli and kale into true bite-sized pieces. I like to just rip the kale up by hand to make sure there are no large leaves.
– Use vegetable broth and sub out the parmesan cheese to make this a completely vegan dish.
– Spice this dish up by using roasted broccoli or adding some red pepper flakes for a little extra kick!