Zesty, Garlicky Broccoli & Kale with Red Quinoa and Sundried Tomatoes

It’s mid-morning as I sit to write out this “recipe” recap, a full week after having made the dish. But it’s worth the capture - better late than never.

As we ease into the warmer months, my scheming to keep the oven off kicks into gear. I live in an apartment that I love, but it’s main drawback is that it holds heat and is difficult to cool. Once the temperature in here climbs, it’s hard to bring back down to a comfortable level. So in the summer months, I have a No-Oven policy. We’re almost there. And that’s when dishes like this one rise to the occasion.

We had hosted some friends the weekend before for a board game night, and had leftover sundried tomatoes in the fridge from the Appertivo-themed snack board spread that sustained us through our literally-five-and-a-half-hour game of Monopoly. As I mulled in the fridge after work on the following warm Thursday evening, thinking about how I might put dinner on the countertop (we eat at the kitchen island,) without coaxing the temperatures upward, I spied the sundried tomatoes. My eyes wandered to the crisper, where broccoli and kale lie looking a bit tired. Now I just needed a little protein to add to the mix. Inspired by this emerging theme of “making use” of what was on hand, I opened the cupboard above the fridge and pulled out Red Quinoa that hadn’t gotten play in a while. Farro had taken over as star playing grain as of late. “Put me in, coach!” cried the Quinoa. “Okay” I said, out loud, in return. I love it when a plan comes together.

Composed entirely on the stovetop, in the time it takes to cook a pot of quinoa, I was spared effort, time AND residual heat. The reward was well worth the 25 minute-or-so time investment and casual conversation with ancient grains.

This meal is nutritious, delicious, simple and efficient. An every-day hero. It freezes well, and served hot or cold, this dish shines as a healthy supper that won’t weigh you down, a superbly portable and packable lunch to take to school or the office, and a craveable, spoonable offering for picnics or potlucks. I can also see this as a great base to have on hand for grain bowls, or alongside another star on the dinner plate (grilled shrimp or chicken thighs come to mind.)

Zesty, Garlicky Broccoli & Kale with Red Quinoa and Sundried Tomatoes

Serves 4 (or 2 with a large appetite, leaving a touch left over for a little snack.)
25 Minutes

Hardware

• You’ll need a medium pot (to boil the quinoa)

• a strainer or sieve

• a braiser, large sauté pan, or dutch oven

• requisite chef’s knife, cutting board and your favorite wooden spoon (or whatever spoon you like.)

• Y-peeler (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Red Quinoa, rinsed in cold water.

• 2 heads broccoli, chopped into small-ish pieces (florets and stems)

• ~half a bunch of lacinato or curly kale, cut into ribbons then chopped

• about 8-10 oil packed sundried tomatoes and about 1/4 cup of the oil

• 2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped

• Juice of 1 lemon

Process

1. Prepare the broccoli, kale, garlic and sundried tomatoes: Remove any tough, fibrous parts from the broccoli stems using a Y-peeler and/or your chef’s knife. Chop broccoli into small-ish, evenly sized pieces. Use florets and stems alike - we’re not about wasting broccoli stems. Strip the kale leaves from their fibrous central stems. Stack the leaves, roll the stacks into cigars, then chop the cigars into ribbons. Chop the ribbons into smaller pieces. Set aside the broccoli and kale, wiping your board for good measure. Smash and roughly chop the garlic, then, chop the sundried tomatoes. I save chopping the sundried tomatoes for last as they tend to grease up the cutting board, and I’m not about to wash two cutting boards for an all-veg meal.

2. Rinse quinoa well under cold water. Combine quinoa and 1 3/4 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.

3. While the quinoa is simmering, set your braiser (or large sauté pan) over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of sundried tomato oil and allow to warm. Add crushed, chopped garlic cloves. Stir and cook garlic for a minute or two, until deliciously fragrant. To the oil, add chopped broccoli. Stir to coat in the oil, season with salt and pepper (I used a couple of healthy pinches of salt, here, as I taste and season as I go.) Add the juice of half your lemon, toss to combine, and cover the braiser with it’s lid, raise the heat to medium-high and allow the broccoli to cook through a bit, about two to three minutes. Uncover and add in the kale, stirring to combine, and seasoning with another pinch of salt. Add the remaining lemon juice, tossing to combine, and cover the braiser again. This time lower the heat back down to medium, allowing to cook another two to three minutes.

4. Add the chopped sundried tomato, stirring to combine. If things seem to be scorching a bit, add a splash of water. We’re utilizing the steam here and a little bit of moisture in the pan to cook our vegetables through, rather than dry heat. Check your broccoli and kale for doneness. If it needs more time, give it a stir, cover and continue to cook another few minutes. If it’s where you like it (only you know where that is,) turn off the heat and pop the lid back on until the quinoa is done.

5. Remove quinoa from heat. Allow quinoa to sit, covered, for another 10 minutes or so.

6. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add to the lemony, garlicky, sundried-tomatoey broccoli and kale mixture. Stir everything together, allowing the deliciously flavored oils and juices to coat the quinoa and bring everything together. Spoon into bowls and enjoy warm.