Kale Pesto Quinoa with Spinach & Eggs

Three of my favorite things combined right here: pesto, quinoa, and eggs. This is one of my absolute favorite weeknight dinner choices, It's super simple and quick to make, and it's absolutely delicious and satisfying. It's full of protein and fiber and tons of other good for you yummy things. I've always been a fan of quinoa bowls because you can literally have them for any meal of the day and top them with anything you wish, but I really do have to say, this is my favorite quinoa bowl recipe so far. 

I almost always throw an egg on the top of my quinoa bowls, but this is totally optional. I like that it adds a bit of extra protein, plus, I just love eggs! You could also add some shrimp or chicken to the top, which would be delicious too! One other thing to note is that you do need a food processor if you are going to make homemade pesto. I make my own for this recipe, but can always buy pre-made pesto to use too. As for making this vegan, just omit the parmesan cheese (nutritional yeast is a great substitute).

i'm telling you guys... everyone you cook this for will love it. Even your boyfriends, husbands, etc. etc. will - I promise. Nick eats everything I cook for him (although this is really the only way I can seem to sneak kale into his diet). So... even the non-kale fans will enjoy this. You can also just tell them it's normal pesto. It'll be our little secret! Read on below for recipe details and directions!

Recipe:

• Pesto:
  • 2 cups kale (stems removed)
  • 1 cup basil
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • juice from 1/2 lemon 
  • 1 tsp himalayan salt
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup parmesan (or nutritional yeast if vegan)
• Quinoa bowl:
  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 6 cups (or 1 bag) baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup homemade pesto (or more depending on how you want it to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping (for vegan, omit completely or add some nutritional yeast)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • 2 organic eggs (optional)
  • Organic chicken broth (to cook quinoa)

Directions:

1. To make the pesto, all you need to do is throw all the ingredients into a food processor and mix well. Voila!! 
2. Cook the quinoa + chicken broth according to the instructions on the quinoa package. Again, if you're making this vegan, you can just use water.
3. When the quinoa is done cooking, turn the heat to medium, add the turmeric (this is optional - I add it as a little anti-inflammatory health boost), spinach, pesto, parmesan/nutritional yeast, and salt. Stir until the mixture is well mixed and the spinach is wilted.
4. Cook the eggs in a separate pan. You can cook however many you want depending on how many people you're serving. I usually do one egg per bowl.
5. Scoop the quinoa mixture into bowls and top with the fried egg. Serve immediately and top with parmesan cheese!

The Ultimate Quinoa Bowl

This is my most frequently made dish by far - we do them at least once a week. Quinoa bowls are super easy and fast to make, plus they're healthy and delicious. I'm a fan of adding a fried egg on top, as well as avocado (always!), but you can do a ton of different combinations depending on what you prefer. 

To prepare my favorite, you'll need the following: 1 avocado, 1 sweet potato, a bunch of kale, 1 fried egg, and quinoa. Cook the quinoa according to the package (I believe it's one cup of quinoa to two cups of water or broth). I highly recommend using broth to cook the quinoa over water, because it makes it much tastier. I'd even go a step up and cook it in bone broth for a little extra nutrition and health benefits! I also love to add some turmeric to my quinoa once it is cooked for a major anti-inflammatory boost.

While the quinoa is cooking, bake the sweet potato and kale in the oven. Peel and dice the sweet potato and toss the cubes in 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp rosemary, salt and pepper. Place them on a tray lined with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until soft. As for the kale, remove the stalks and rip the kale into smaller pieces. Toss the pieces in 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and bake on another baking sheet for about 15 minutes or until crispy. Finally, heat a little bit of coconut oil in a frying pan and crack 1 (or however many eggs you want) in the pan and fry them. Another option would be to do poached eggs if you want to get really creative.

This is my absolute favorite quinoa bowl combination - it's warm, hearty, and savory, plus it's extremely filling and yummy. The fun thing thing about these bowls is that you can pretty much throw anything into them, depending on what you have in your fridge. Broccoli, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, corn, pretty much any kind of meat, cheese, and so much more. You can also make a more refreshing bowl with mint, fruit, avocado and corn - this makes a great summer salad!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 avocado
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• a bunch/handful of kale
• coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• tumeric
• salt & pepper to taste

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