Food Fit For Queens

Last week I went over to see Shae's new apt in Long Island City. I don't particularly think of myself as a big apartment building kind of gal or a Queens type of gal at that, but after seeing how CLEAN and NEW everything in Shae's place was, I thought to myself for the 1,813,587th time "I'm so over wanting to live in an a cute old Manhattan building !" (it's like a mantra, maybe if you keep repeating it it will actually become true).

But this is not an entry about real estate. It's about the meal Shae made for me that night, after we hadn't seen each other in a very long time. Granted, her SPARKLY NEW kitchen probably made it easier to toss together, but the recipe only take 15 minutes of hands-on time anyway (so good for the sanity!) Without further ado, here is the recipe for Quinoa with Mushrooms, Kale, and Sweet Potatoes, which Shae found at Real Simple. We agreed that our choice of Red Quinoa was an improvement on the original. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions

1. Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale, wine, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve over the quinoa and sprinkle with the Parmesan.