Quinoa get a what what?

My mom frequently asks me if quinoa is like pasta, and every time I tell her it’s like rice. That statement hasn’t stuck with her so maybe this blog post will.
Additionally, Caroline and I talk a few times a week, and we always ask, “What are you having for dinner?” Her question has merged to, “Kat, how are you having a sweet potato tonight?”

Chad gets it. Sweet potatoes are good, and they add a good bulk to your meals without being meat. I’ve shared my love of Cookie and Kate before, but this meal is one of my favorites. All of her recipes are vegetarian-just FYI. I love this recipe so much that I just wrote her website and the recipe title on a recipe card at a bridal shower. It looks like it’s lengthy. It’s really not, and the avocado sauce is perfection. I will often eat it with tortilla chips on the side.

Kale and Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped into very small, bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• ½ teaspoon salt

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into small, ¼-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Avocado Sauce

• 2 avocados, sliced into long strips
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander, optional (I never use coriander. WHO has coriander on hand?)
• Salt, to taste

Additional Add-Ins

• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta (I rarely have feta, but I think this would be great.)

Add all the content of the avocado sauce to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Mom, this is quinoa.

In a medium skillet, heat EVOO and add sweet potatoes. Toss to coat then add cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir to combine, and once the pan is sizzling, add 1/4 cup of water and cover pan reducing heat to low. Cook about ten minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to remove any excess water (about 3-5 minutes)

Transfer kale to a mixing bowl and massage it with some EVOO and salt. Massage it like you mean it. Really get in there.

Your kale should be this rich green when you are done.

Create your salad bowls with kale on the bottom, a big spoonful of quinoa, sweet potatoes, and black beans, and finish with the avocado sauce.

It’s pretty. It’s healthy. It’s filling. Once again Michael Scott would call that a win win win scenario. We all win.