Asian Fried Quinoa with Kale

http://crandlecakes.com/2014/01/09/asian-style-fried-quinoa-with-vegetables-gf/

Serves 1

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups thinly sliced kale
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1-cm cubes works well)
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (use the gluten-free kind if desired)
1 teaspoon sesame oil for garnish (optional)
Sriracha or sambal oelek

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. When translucent but not browned, add carrots and peas. When peas are bright green and no longer icy and carrots are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes), add kale and wilt slightly, about 3 minutes (for softer kale, cook up to 6 minutes). At this stage, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water because the vegetables were beginning to stick. If you need to add water at this stage, make sure it fully evaporates before moving on.

2. When vegetables are softened, add quinoa, stir, and let sit 1 minute to brown a bit. Stir and let sit again, 1 more minute.

3. When quinoa is warmed through and crisped on some spots, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack the egg into it. Scramble the egg in the well and then mix into the quinoa (about 30 seconds.)

4. Just as egg finishes cooking, stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

5. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha or sambal oelek.

Cajun shrimp and kale on bed of mashed sweet potatoes

Its Mardi Gras time so I was looking for a dish with a little Cajun kick.  This fit the bill perfectly.  I will agree it is not a beauty to look at but the way the flavors meld, oh MY!!  If you are not a seafood eater I don't see why you couldn't sub chicken for the shrimp.

1 lb sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

4 ounces spicy breakfast sausage or andouille
2 Tbsp diced onion
2 Tbsp diced celery
2 Tbsp diced pepper
1 cup half and half or milk(I wouldn't use skim or fat free, your making a gravy)
1 tsp thyme
!/4 cup white wine
1 tsp Old Bay or other Cajun seasoning blend
1 Tbsp butter

1 lb deviened raw shrimp
1 tsp Old Bay

4 cups diced kale

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 till tender, probably about an hour.  Mash with butter and cinnamon.

While sweet potatoes are baking saute the sausage with the vegetables until tender and browned.   Add the thyme.  Deglaze the pan with the wine. After all the yummy bits are off the bottom of the pan, add the half and half and old bay.  Cook about 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in the butter.

Heat a non stick skillet sprayed with oil on med high and quickly cook the shrimp coated in Old Bay.

Boil the kale for 2 to 3 min.  You don't want it to soft just slightly wilted.  I actually put mine in the oven with some more Old Bay on it for about 20 min so they were a bit crispy and then crumbled it on top of the sweet potatoes.

OK the work is done now make your little pile of mush and enjoy every bite.  Sweet potato on the bottom, kale on top of that, shrimp next, and then finish it off with some of that spicy gravy.