Kale and Quinoa are one of my favorite combinations. As you’ve probably guessed already, I love quinoa. That could be because I can eat it every day and not gain weight. No extra weight on my hips or stomach, and that’s a good thing! I can’t claim that when eating pasta, rice, and potatoes.
In my previous posts I’ve told you the many benefits of quinoa, so here are a few (well, there are so many) benefits of kale.
Here is what WebMd has to say about kale:
1. Kale is the “queen of greens”, it’s one of the healthiest vegetables around! Combine kale and quinoa and you can’t go wrong!
2. One cup of kale contains: 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper,potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.”
3. Kale has a high concentration of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K. Carotenoids and flavonoids are specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
4. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.
A note about Vitamin K. Vitamin K is helpful with blood clotting and bone health, however, people taking warfarin(Coumadin) need to check if or how much they can eat of kale because it will interfere with their medicine. So, check with your doctor first if you’re on this medication.
How To Pick Out Your Kale
You want to look for leaves that are dark in color and firm. The smaller leaves have a milder flavor. There are many varieties of kale, so don’t hesitate to try whatever you come across because they’re all good 🙂 I usually come home and wash my kale thoroughly, take the leafy part off the stalk, then spin it in your salad spinner to get rid of excess water, or dry it between clean kitchen towels, then chop it up, and store it in a Ziploc bag in the frig. Now it’s ready to use.
Here is another of my favorite recipes: kale and quinoa.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. It’s fast and easy!
What you’ll need:
Olive Oil
Kale, one bunch
2-3 cups of cooked quinoa
½ an onion, diced
½ a shallot, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic,diced
½ or whole diced red pepper
You can also add mushrooms if you like them.
Heat oil in pan and sauté onion and shallot for 3 minutes then add the garlic and sauté for about 1 min. If adding red pepper, do it at this point. Add kale and toss with tongs. Add a little bit of water if it seems like the onion is getting too brown. Keep tossing until wilted, but not cooked to death. It should have some chew to it, al dente if it was pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the quinoa.
Another recipe idea! Add pesto to the kale, onions, garlic and shallots, then add cooked quinoa. This is a totally awesome recipe also, especially if you like pesto. I wouldn’t add the red pepper or mushrooms if you add the pesto as I don’t think those would go together well.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
