Garden Veggies and Quinoa - Meal for 1 idea

As a student, employee, and *sigh* single lady, I often find myself cooking for just me.  Hey, it happens.  Most of my meals are extremely simple and not quite "recipe" necessary, but I thoroughly enjoy much of what I cook and need to remember my winning combinations.  This one made the cut and is so much better, in both taste and nutrition, and only a tiny bit of effort than that frozen junk . . .

Being that I am so rushed through out the week, running here and there, I usually take the time one day that I cook what ever grain that I will be using for several days and just add different toppings.  This time I opted for quinoa because when I was procrastinating on the studying I decided to clean out my cupboards.  My house is never so cleans as when I need to buckle down and study. I couldn't remember when I bought the quinoa and figured that I should use it up.  Besides, quinoa can go either savory or sweet if just toasted then cooked in water. 

There are so many great toppings for quinoa, veggies that need to be eaten soon, leftovers that I really didn't need to bring home but did anyway, cinnamon, sugar and butter.  I roast my quinoa on the stove top to add a nutty depth to it before cooking it and trust me it is worth the extra few minutes.  And I always have a block of hard cheese like Romano or Parmesan in the fridge because it lasts forever.

This time of year is fantastic for pulling my ripe stuffs out of my garden and chowing down on it.  Those Bloody Butcher tomatoes are AWESOME.  You should see my giant broccoli harvest.  Much of which will be steamed then frozen for later use, but I'm sure I'll get through most of it soon, plus there are several broccoli dishes and dips that I want to try.

Garden Veggies and Quinoa

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion thinly sliced, I used 2 because mine are extra small (see above)
5 medium coarsely chopped kale leaves, center vein removed
2 cloves crushed garlic
3/4 c cooked quinoa
3/4 c coarsely chopped broccoli, stems are where the fiber is . . . include them for crunch
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium tomato
1/4 grated FRESH Romano

Preheat a pan with the olive oil on medium heat.   Toss the onion into the oil and let it sauté until softened, and on the edge of browning, about 5 or so minutes.  Add the kale and garlic, coat evenly and sauté for a minute or two longer.  Add the quinoa and broccoli, then salt and pepper to taste.  allow this so cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While that is all cooking slice the tomato and set aside.

Dump that yumminess in a bowl. Garnish with the tomato and Romano.







No, my dinner isn't always so nicely presented.  And, yes, maybe I did add a bit more cheese after I took the picture.