Last Night's Nums: Curried fall veggies with quinoa

My grandmother always says that if you had to choose one food to eat forever, you should choose sweet potatoes because of their superior nutritional value.  Personally, if there was one food I had to eat forever, it would be a grain, not because of its nutritional value, but just because I love grains!  Breads, rice, pasta, cous-cous... there's not a lot of grains I won't eat (except for grits... yes, I'm a pathetic southerner).

Last night's meal contained both grains and sweet potatoes.  I'd been wanting to try quinoa, a grain native to South America that's rich in iron and protein, two things my diet could really use more of.  So I did a Google search for good quinoa recipes, and came across a true gem that uses both in-season and frozen veggies: quinoa with curried vegetables.

This recipe is pretty easy and can be prepared over a short period of time.  Plus, depending on your family size, it will provide a slew of leftovers that reheat well.  As an added bonus, the combination of ginger, garlic, and fenugreek can provide a nice supply boost to all you lactating mothers out there!

Those who know my cooking habits know I rarely follow recipes verbatum.  Here's the recipe with my personal touches--

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, prepared according to package directions
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp minced or grated ginger
• 1 large yam or sweet potato
• 1 lb kale, washed thoroughly, drained well, stems removed and chopped coarsely
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayanne pepper
• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 can coconut milk + 1/2 cup water OR 1 can light coconut milk

Directions:

1. Heat the oil on low in the 8 quart pan
2. Prep the veggies
3. Turn the heat up to medium, fry the garlic and ginger in the oil until the garlic starts to brown
4. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the sweet potato. Sauté 5 minutes until the veggies are heated through. 
5. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne if using, and stir 2 more minutes, until well mixed with the veggies.  *NOTE: Our cookware is not non-stick, so I added another 1 1/2 tbsp of oil with the spices.
6. Add the chopped kale and stir until the kale is wilted
7. Add the frozen green beans and stir until blended
8. Turn the heat down to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the veggies reach the desired doneness. Add a sprinkle of water if the veggies are sticking
9. Add the coconut milk and red curry paste if using. Stir well, and cook another 5 minutes
10. Stir in cooked quinoa, enjoy!

Note that I upped the portion of most spices, except for the fenugreek.  Fenugreek is an extremely potent spice when bought fresh-ground, and if you use too much your entire dish will be overwhelmed by a distinct maple syrup taste.  If you don't have all of the spices listed above and don't want to buy them (let's face it... quality spices can be pricy), you can just purchase a good quality curry powder.  For this recipe, use 2 tbsp of pre-mixed curry powder.  Me, I love mixing my own!

I also used a Stokes Purple sweet potato.  Stokes Purples are native to the northwestern Piedmont area (mostly in Stokes County, hence the name), an area with unique soil components that makes this particular strain grow a lovely purple.  Not only are they local to my area, but they're also higher in anthocyanin (helps promote cardiovascular health) and rich in antioxidants that actually get more potent when cooked.  Plus, they're pretty.  (Exhibit A.) 


I'm sure this recipe would be good with other grains such as white or brown rice, cous-cous, maybe even in noodles, but the quinoa's flavor really seemed to complement the kale.  And the increased amount of cayenne pepper was of course wonderful next to the sweet potatoes and coconut milk.  Add more if you want an even bigger kick.

Enjoy!!