Garlicky Quinoa & Baby Kale

Can we all just agree that any post starting off with this much garlic wins for the day?

Lately we’ve been working really hard to get back into the routine of eating well around here.  For the longest time with the move we were eating quick meals at either fast food restaurants or ones that were FULL of pasta and carby goodness at home.  Now please understand:  I {heart} carbs in all forms, especially if it’s pasta.  But the waistline?  Not so much.

 

As we’ve become more and more settled in our new house and new city we’ve started finally going to the store and building up our stock of condiments and spices again.  P.S. am I the only one who tosses all of the almost-empty spices when they move and then immediately regrets it?  Now I actually have to write down or remember what flavors to get at the store instead of just being able to reach in my spice cabinet.  DOH!

 

Anyway, meals have started becoming healthier again and, while it’s hard to really try to turn down pasta or brownies for dinner, adding a lot of garlic and a little bacon to some quinoa and kale can make all the difference in the world.  And quick-cooking baby kale?  Yeah, makes that even better!  We had this delightful little dish some baked chicken and Greek yogurt for dessert.  WIN!

GARLICKY QUINOA & BABY KALE

• 1 12-oz bag of Organic Girl Quick-Cook baby kale
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon
• 4-5 Tbsp minced garlic (we love us some garlic – reduce or increase the amount you use to suit your taste)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan fitted with a lid render the bacon until crisp over medium-low heat.  Once the bacon is crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain.  Reserve 1-2 teaspoons of the drippings and discard the rest.  Place the pan back over medium-low heat and add the garlic, baby kale and lemon juice.  Stir a bit to coat and then place a lid on top.  Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the kale to wilt.  Remove the lid and stir in the cooked quinoa and red pepper flakes.  Season to taste.  Stir in the crisped bacon, remove from the heat and serve!

Nevermind the fact that brownies are on the list of things to do today.  The quinoa/kale combo totally cancels that out…right?