Quinoa & Kale Pitas with Tahini Dressing
 
 
These are packed with some of my favorite ingredients! Quinoa is loaded with protein and the kale is well . . . it's kale! We all know kale is high in iron, calcium and several vitamins. Check out these 10 Health Benefits of this super green. I also threw in some pepitas, which are rich in vitamins, beta carotene, and protein. I made a pretty big batch so that I can nosh all week (especially post workouts), but feel free to halve the recipe if you're fearful of getting quinoa'd out. (Inconceivable! ;-) )
Author:
Ingredients
  • Filling
  • 2 C tri-color quinoa
  • 4 C vegetable broth or water
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 C red onion, diced
  • ¾ C green onion, sliced
  • 2 C mushrooms, diced
  • 1 bunch kale, leaves removed and chopped (stems discarded)
  • ¾ C pepitas
  • Dressing
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 Tbs tahini
  • 2 Tbs yellow/light miso
  • ¼ C nutritional yeast
  • ½ C unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ C cold water
  • 2 Tbs chia seesds
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • The rest
  • Pita pockets
  • Avocado slices
Directions
  1. I recommend making the dressing first. It'll be a little runny, but letting it sit for 20 minutes or so, will allow the chia seeds to do their thing and thicken up the dressing. In a food processor or blender, combine all of the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  2. In a large soup pot, combine the broth (or water) with the quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. Add the red and green onions. Saute until softened and a tiny bit browned. Add the kale and mushrooms and saute until the the kale is bright green, about 5 minutes.
  4. Fold the veggies and pepitas into the cooked quinoa.
  5. I placed a little dressing inside the pita, along with a slice or two of avocado, then added the filling, and topped with some more dressing. Enjoy!
Recipe by Epicurean Vegan at http://epicureanvegan.com/2014/03/02/quinoa-kale-pitas-with-tahini-dressing/