Toasted Kale and Quinoa Bowl

I recently made this dish for a family friend, and he said that it could turn any carnivore into a vegetarian! That was pretty high praise from an Italian who is very particular about his food! This may be my favorite recipe I have developed so far, and all of the ingredients are toasted and warm, which make it a great meal for when it's cold outside and you don't necessarily want a cold salad but still need to get your veggies in! The hummus, eggs, and quinoa also make this bowl a great source of protein!

Serves 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• 1/3 cup white quinoa

• pinch of salt

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, separated

• 2-3 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like garlic), minced

• 2 Tbsp hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds

• 2 Tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds

• 1 small handful of almonds, roughly chopped

• 1 bunch of kale, torn into bite size pieces with the stalk removed

• 3 Tbsp halloumi cheese, chopped or crumbled

• 2 heaped tsp hummus (see here for recipe)

• 1 avocado, sliced, pitted, and peeled

• chili powder to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the eggs by placing them in a small saucepan and filling it with water until the eggs are covered. Bring the water to a boil, the turn the heat off, cover with a lid, and allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Move the eggs to an ice bath and allow them to cool before peeling.

2. Cook the quinoa in a small saucepan with 2/3 cups water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring occasionally, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer until the germ has spiraled off the grain. Stir in the salt.

3. In a large skillet, sauté the garlic in 1.25 tsp olive oil until slightly browned, stirring constantly. Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds and toast until slightly browned, stirring occasionally. Now add the cooked quinoa, and then add 1/4 tsp olive oil and the kale, stirring until slightly wilted (about 2-3 minutes). 

4. Move the kale and quinoa mixture to two serving bowls, and sauté the halloumi cheese in 1/4 tsp olive oil in the same skillet until browned. Add to the serving bowls.

5. Add 1 heaping tsp of hummus, a boiled egg, and an avocado slice to each serving bowl. Sprinkle on chili powder to taste. 

*Note: steps 1 and 2 can be done at the same time, and while these are cooking you can prepare the other ingredients!

Please comment below if you have any questions and let me know what you think if you make it!