Sweet Potato & Kale Stew Over Quinoa

I woke up this morning to the unmistakable smell of eggs and bacon cooking at my parent’s house. More specifically, Ina Garten’s maple-roasted bacon, which just happens to be my favorite. Somehow I managed to stick to my guns and skip the bacon in favor of some whole wheat toast and organic raspberry jam. While I have really enjoyed being at my parents house for the holidays, I am pretty relieved to have made it back to my place today safe and sound, with my new “vegan” resolve still intact. Who knows how many more mornings I might have been able to resist the temptation of that heavenly smell of eggs, bacon, and maple syrup filling the house on a cold winter morning…..

And that brings me to Day 5 living the vegan lifestyle. Due to my mother’s stocked fridge, I was able to scavenge up some vegan friendly meals (mostly vegetables….) while home and eat them fairly unobtrusively with the family at regular meals. Now that I am back in my apartment and cooking for one, I whipped up something quick for dinner using some winter-friendly ingredients. Adapted from a recipe from www.realsimple.com, this sweet potato and kale stew served over quinoa takes about 30 minutes to make and only calls for a few ingredients. That gives me time to skip the grocery store, go the gym after work, and get a hot meal on the table, all before 8pm. As Ina would say, “How bad could that be?”

Here is the recipe:

Serves 2| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 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

Directions

1. Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the sweet potatoes cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and beginning to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the kale, wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Serve the vegetables over the quinoa. 

** Cooking Notes: I found the sweet potatoes took longer than the kale to cook. Next time I will probably add the wine in step 4 and cook the sweet potatoes for a few minutes before adding in the kale.