Quinoa Stuffing

Gut health tip: Sometimes quinoa can be difficult to digest, resulting in bloating. Soak your quinoa in water and 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar for at least an hour (I often soak it overnight). Then rinse well before cooking it. This will help remove phytic acid, which improves digestion and absorption of nutrients, and it helps speed up the cooking time. Soaking also removes bitter-tasting saponins.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken, bone, or vegetable broth (plus 1/3 cup for last step)
• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried sage
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBSP fresh thyme
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries or cherries
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups broth to boil. Add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes (or until quinoa is cooked through and broth has been absorbed).
3. Remove quinoa from heat and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, combine kale, olive oil, onion, garlic, sage, cinnamon, thyme, and celery over medium heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
5. Add kale/onion/garlic/celery mixture to quinoa. Stir in apple, walnuts, and dried cranberries.
6. Add 1/3 cup broth to quinoa mixture. Stir well.
7. Transfer quinoa mixture to a greased baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health practitioners with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.