Kale Pesto Quinoa w/ Poached Egg
Hey, I warned you didn’t I? Another quinoa bowl. This one was especially satisfying because I used my first harvest of kale from my garden! No matter what you grow, it will always taste better freshly harvested from your own garden. No farmer’s market or grocery store can create that feeling of accomplishment that growing your own food can.
I also used my own basil to make the pesto. If you were just planning on buying pre-made pesto- don’t. It will ALWAYS taste better fresh. And you do not have to break the bank by buying pine nuts for your pesto. I always just leave the nuts out and I think it tastes just fine. Although, if you want traditional pesto, it does have pine nuts in it.
I don’t eat eggs often because Ben is allergic. I always have a fear of cooking things that he is allergic to in our tiny apartment. I always have the thought “What if I don’t wash the pan properly and then he eats off it?!” in the back of my head. But occasionally you just have to cook yourself a delicious egg.
The soft runny yolk of a poached egg takes this quinoa bowl to the next level. Between the quinoa, egg and kale, this is a powerful bowl filled with nutrients and protein. It makes a great lunch to get you through the rest of the day or a healthy dinner.
Kale Pesto Quinoa w/ Poached Egg
Ingredients
- 1 c quinoa
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 c Kale chopped
- 1/4 yellow onion julienned
- 1/2 T crushed red pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 T white vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil to garnish
- For the pesto
- 1 c fresh basil
- 1/2 c kale
- 1/2 to 1 c olive oil depending on consistency desired
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
- 1 T pine nuts optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions (2:1 water to quinoa ratio).
- While quinoa is cooking, combine all the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. (For a thicker pesto, use less oil).
- Heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook until they become translucent.
- Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
- For the eggs, bring a small pot of water plus 1 T white vinegar almost to a boil. (Be sure that there are no large bubbles, as these will hurt your egg.)
- Crack one egg into the water until the whites are cooked, but the yolk is still soft, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the egg and repeat for the second egg.
- To serve, combine the quinoa, kale and pesto. Top with a poached egg and garnish with basil to serve.
Leave a Reply