Savory Quinoa, Lentil & Kale Bowl

I attended my first cooking class this past week! It was great fun! I learned how to properly cook kale, how to improve seasoning, and how to use an amazing ingredient called tahini! Tahini is ground sesame seeds yet it sustains a nutty flavor and is a delicious dressing for this meal or frankly any meal.

The Vegan cooking class was hosted by The Plantie and this is one of the recipes we cooked. I found this recipe to be absolutely delicious and could fit within my macronutrient and calorie parameters so I wanted to share.

Please note, the tahini dressing is high in calories, therefor go light on the dressing. I used 1 tablespoon in my meal.

INGREDIENTS:

Lentils

1. 1/2 cup brown or green lentils

2. 1 1/2 cup water

3. 1 medium/large garlic clove, crushed

4. 1 bay leaf

Quinoa

1. 1 cup quinoa

2. 2 cups of vegetable broth or water

Greens

1. 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2. 1 cup kale, chopped

3. pinch of salt

4. fresh ground pepper

Dressing

1. 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2. 3 tbsp water

3. 3 tbsp tamari (I didn’t have this item & it turned out fine)

4. 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

5. 1 medium/large garlic clove, grated

6. 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

7. 1 1/2 tbsp tahini

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add lentils, water, garlic, and bay leaf to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer about 25-30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. Remove bay leaf and crushed garlic. Set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer about 12 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

3. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add the greens and cook until softened. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and set aside. Basically as soon as the kale start to wilt it is done! 2-3 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.

5. Divide quinoa between bowls, then add in the lentils and sauteed greens.

6. Pour a small amount of dressing over each bowl. Serve warm.

Tahini dressing calories: 10 servings 172 calories, 1.2g carbs, 18g fat, 1.9g fat

#dinner #lunch