Quinoa with Artichokes, Asparagus and Kale

I tried quinoa once a while ago and wasn’t that impressed with it – it was kind of dry and flavorless and just sort of turned into mush in your mouth. But after seeing numerous quinoa recipes online and reading about all the various health benefits (high in protein, plant derived calcium, iron, and fiber, with magnesium to regulate blood pressure and relax muscles and manganese and copper to work as antioxidants)  – I knew it deserved another chance. I figured even if I didn’t like it that much the second time around, consuming such a superfood would still be worth it. But let me tell you – I LOVED it. I must have completely over cooked it the first time because with this recipe it was delicious. I couldn’t stop  myself from getting seconds, and then thirds – it was that good. The combination of textures and flavors is fantastic and this makes the perfectly healthy meal. If omitting the Parmesan it becomes both vegan and gluten-free. I urge you to try this. If you’re sketical of quinoa do it for the health benefits at least, if not for the taste. Just make sure not to over cook it. Now that I’m a quinoa convert expect to see some more quinoa recipes in the future (unless of course I just keep making this one over and over again).

Quinoa with Artichokes, Asparagus and Kale

Recipe Adapted from Snixy Kitchen

Serves: 4-6

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked quinoa

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

3/4 pound asparagus bottom inch of spears discarded, the rest cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered

2-3 cups kale, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, broken into smaller pieces

salt, pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Parmesan, freshly shredded (optional)

2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1.Rinse quinoa in cold water. In a medium pan add quinoa, lemon juice and zest and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a cover, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

2. In a pan heat sunflower oil (or vegetable oil) over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until just starting to brown – transfer to a bowl. To the same pan add asparagus and cook 2-3 minutes then add kale and cook until just starting to get wilted.

3. Add artichoke hearts and walnuts and continue to cook for a couple minutes. Add garlic back to the pan and mix to combine.

4. When quinoa is fully cooked add it to the pan with the vegetables and mix. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and scallions.