and it goes a little like this
Recipe: quinoa with sautéed mushrooms and kale
Planning my schedules is easy. Planning my schedules around other people’s schedules is where I start wanting to tear my hair out. Last week it got to the point of maximum chaos trying to coordinate several travel shoots. I even thought I was going to have to dig around for someone to come with me to Hawai’i! But just as things seemed impossible to nail down, I did manage to get it all settled in time for the weekend.
it was a snowy weekend
There is a lot going on around here and this past weekend was no exception. For example, there was PodCamp Boulder 3 – the Unconference. I attended PCB2 last year and it was tremendous. There is a lot of knowledge in this community – a lot of sharing, discussion, creativity, laughter, networking, and good people. I love that. I came away with some new friends and more ideas to mull over in my head.
levar and terry lead a session
bryan and jason discuss social development in children
And because Kathya was at PodCamp too, we ventured into downtown Boulder to try out a new eatery for lunch. I went on my friend Denise‘s recommendation. Pizzeria Locale had been open for just over a week and it sounded fabulous. I’ll be writing more about them soon.
the perfect arugula salad
Since last week was Chinese New Year, I kinda loaded the Chinese recipes (or Chinese-related posts) on you. We’re back to mixing things up here, which brings me to quinoa. Jeremy and I are quite fond of quinoa, but I haven’t cooked with it all that much. Mostly, we have had it in restaurants. I was reminded of how much I enjoy it when Danny whipped up some lovely quinoa with chanterelles, summer corn, and peppers for breakfast one morning when I was visiting with him, Shauna, and Lu.
dried quinoa (tiny!)
local oyster mushrooms
kale, oyster mushrooms, diced onion, cod filets
I purchase my organic quinoa in bulk from Whole Foods. There is also a red quinoa that I wanted to try, but the bin was EMPTY. I settled for white quinoa. I’ve heard people say that you can treat quinoa like you would rice. It’s lighter than rice and the texture is more springy. There is a nutty flavor to the quinoa which works beautifully with vegetables. I chose to cook it with some kale, onions, and mushrooms.
fluffy cooked quinoa
sautéed mushrooms
chopped kale
But those folks were right. Quinoa stir-fries up just like rice and gets on well with pretty much anything. I probably should have used a stronger flavored mushroom, or perhaps used butter. [Contrary to what most people (including my parents) think, we don’t consume a lot of butter here. I just don’t like to use fake substitutes.] Still, the quinoa and vegetable stir-fry was a nice change from the usual grain or starch because it doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. I suppose it could if you ate ridiculous amounts of it, but no one should be eating ridiculous amounts of anything, right? And if you really want to cut down on the oil usage, you can toss the cooked vegetables in with the cooked quinoa without sautéing it all together.
adding cooked quinoa to the onions
mix it all together
Quinoa is simple to prepare and certainly worth the 20-25 minute simmering time. I definitely want to incorporate more of it into our meals either as a side dish or as a main dish. We now have a jar of quinoa on hand in our pantry for any last-minute inspiration. I’m hoping to get a second jar in the pantry filled with red quinoa too.
pan-seared cod on a bed of quinoa and vegetables
Quinoa with Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale
[print recipe]
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
dash of salt
2 tbsps olive oil (or butter) for the mushrooms
1/2 lb. mushrooms, large dice or sliced depending on type of mushroom
more olive oil
1 bunch (about 8 leaves) kale or other dark leafy greens, washed and torn
1/2 yellow onion, diced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Rinse the quinoa under cold water for a minute (I used a sieve and didn’t lose a single seed). Place 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water, and a dash of salt in a pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Set aside. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a sauté pan (butter will taste better) and sauté the mushrooms. Season with a bit of salt if you like. When the mushrooms are cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Heat some olive oil (like 1-2 tablespoons) in the same pan and sauté the kale until wilted. Add a dash of salt to taste. Remove from pan and set aside. When the kale cools, you can chop it up some more. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the quinoa, mushrooms, and kale to the onions and stir until heated through and well-mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with pan seared something – like fish, scallops, steak, chicken. Serves 4.
February 7th, 2011 at 6:35 am
Sounds incredible – healthy and delicious.
February 7th, 2011 at 6:51 am
This is a very healthy dinner and good to you anytime food. It definitely will be on my dinner menu.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:17 am
Jen, this sounds really good. I’ll try it for sure.
Cariños
February 7th, 2011 at 7:21 am
most tempting quinoa recipe ive seen in a while!! looks too good with the paired cod!
February 7th, 2011 at 7:29 am
Mushrooms and kale sound wonderful in a bit of cold weather. Looks like I’ve got something to try out in the next couple of days.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:44 am
Looks wonderful! I make quinoa and I make kale but this is the first I have seen them combined!
February 7th, 2011 at 7:52 am
This is delightful, thanks for sharing. Quinoa and kale and mushrooms: friends.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Oh good lord this looks good! If we had anything to do with this, we’re thrilled. Just wish we could have shared it with you and Jeremy.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:21 am
This looks fantastic. I love the idea of all this delicious stuff mixed into the quinoa, as opposed to piling stuff onto a discolored lump of plain quinoa (BOR-RING!).
February 7th, 2011 at 10:32 am
I’m so glad you made it to Locale, I hope you liked it! Thanks for the quinoa recipe, I am always looking for new ways to eat it. Can’t pass up the nutritional punch, a complete protein in a grain! Love it.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:29 am
I think I could eat this all day long, because I love such delicious looking things :)
February 7th, 2011 at 11:32 am
I too have recently discovered a love of quinoa. For some reason whenever I tried it in restaurants it was always bland, but when i make it at home, I add sriracha and a bunch of other stuff and it’s fantastic! thank you for sharing your recipe, i’ll definitely be giving it a try.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:39 am
What a coincidence! I was just looking at my 10 lb. bag of quinoa in our pantry wondering what in the heck to do with it all! This will be a good start!
February 7th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Love the cod. I cook a lot with quinoa and treat it like I would rice. Teri introduced us to it when we first visited Boulder almost 6 years ago. I love its texture. It is often referred to as a grain but it’s not from the grass family. It is more closely related to leafy greens like spinach and beets. I was thrilled to find out that there is locally grown (as in Colorado-grown) quinoa.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Wow. That. Looks. Delicious! We’d love for you to share in our food community at dishfolio.com! Totally feature-worthy.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:48 am
I have recently discovered quinoa as a wonderful grain in a grain salad too! Love it. Have posted it in my blog. You might wanna try it. I, too, like it for how light it feels on the stomach! Brilliant grain we should eat more of.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:53 am
I have been cooking with quinoa for a year or so, and it just gets better. Thanks for another inspiration and a great idea.
February 7th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Just lovely- I really enjoyed the photos of your quinoa. It makes me want to try it.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
I love quinoa, Bryan’s not so keen. There is also blackquinoa which is the one I prefer.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
I’m not a fan of quinoa (I prefer millet instead), but I’ll try it again maybe with red millet this time. I love how healthy and delicious this sounds. Yum.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
I dig quinoa too. Will have to try this recipe because of the kale and mushroom combo. I like to use quinoa in lieu of bulgur wheat for tabbouleh. My gluten free friends really like it.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
love quinoa!
February 8th, 2011 at 8:13 am
Awesome! I have been searching for the perfect quinoa recipe and I think I’ve found it, thank you!
February 8th, 2011 at 8:58 am
I cannot get enough of quinoa, we’ve been eating for just over 2 years now and I’m constantly searching for new recipes. Thanks so much foor this one, can’t wait to try it. One suggestion for anyone new to quinoa, instead of water, cook it in broth, and you don’t have to season it or add butter after, delicious straight from the stovetop!
February 8th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Mmm. I currently have all these ingredients in my fridge/freezer/pantry! That’s tomorrow night’s dinner sorted! Thank you. =)
February 10th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
this is a great combination. I’m going to get some quinoa! I’d also like to let you know I have adapted your almond cookie recipe on my blog! it’s a wonderful treat.
February 14th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I have a super yummy recipe for quinoa with dried cherries, walnuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup stuffed into acorn squash. Try it!
February 18th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Just made this for dinner and it was fantastic! I will be making this one again! I cheated and used Woodstock Farms organic mixed mushrooms (frozen) since I didn’t get a chance to go to the store. It worked great!
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:28 am
jillian – I just love kale, so in my mind it goes great with so many things :)
shauna – sweetie, you inspire me DAILY. xo
Anna – I bet a fried egg with runny yolk would be HEAVEN over a bed of quinoa and some sriracha. mmmmm.
Manisha – thanks for the grain lesson! I love that it’s nutty and healthy and yeah – grown at high elevations!
Barbara – I just tried the black quinoa and love that too. I think it tastes better.
Andrea – ooh, that sounds like a great idea!
Liz – I like the broth suggestion. Great tip – thank you :)
April 14th, 2011 at 10:35 am
this looks glorious but how many ppl does this serve??? i didnt see it mentioned above.
April 14th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Safi – it serves 4 (as stated at the end of the recipe).
April 18th, 2011 at 7:54 am
I thought about combining quinoa and kale for dinner this week, but wasn’t sure what I was going to do it. Love the mushroom add… will have to get some and try this out. Thanks for the inspiration!
May 20th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Made your quinoa and cod for dinner tonight. It was very good! I had some left over kale but no mushrooms so I threw in some sundried tomatoes to be a little crazy. It turned out fantastic! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration!
June 16th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Thanks for the quinoa recipe – just tried it; it was delicious!
September 12th, 2011 at 5:56 am
[…] these recipes from the food blogs: Black Bean and Heirloom Tomato Quinoa from the Kitchn Quinoa with Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale from Use Real Butter Chickpea Hot Pot from 101 Cookbooks Share this: This entry was posted in […]
December 26th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
this flavour combination makes so much sense!! I must try it! Thank you for sharing!
February 1st, 2014 at 8:29 pm
I have made this recipe many times now. It is so delicious. My husband does not like quinoa by itself but says that he loves this. It is so simple but the flavors work together so well. Sometimes I add a bit of ground nutmeg. It makes enough for 4 or 5 people.