Fried Quinoa with Kale and Kimchi

Kale and kimchi unite! This dish has a decidedly Korean flavor, with ingredients like gochujang and kimchi, both of which are fermented and good for you. I could go on about the healthfulness of this dish, with the kale and quinoa and all, but I’d much rather tell you how delicious it is. Make this tonight; it’s delish.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped

• Kosher salt

• 1 cup [170 g] quinoa, rinsed

• 2 cups [480 ml] vegetable broth

• 2 tsp gochujang

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more as needed

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup [150 g] kimchi, chopped, plus more as needed

• 1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Directions

1.    Heat a 12-in [30.5-cm] skillet over medium-high heat, and add the vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, kale, and 1/4 tsp salt and sauté until the kale softens and turns bright green, about 2 minutes longer. Add the quinoa and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 min¬utes. Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for another 10 minutes, until the quinoa absorbs the remaining liquid. Uncover and if there is still some liquid in the skillet, cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it evaporates, about 1 minute.

2.    In a small bowl, stir together the gochujang, soy sauce, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, beat together the eggs and 1/4 tsp salt.

3.    Return the quinoa to medium-high heat and add the gochujang mixture and kimchi, stirring, until warmed through, about 1 minute. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring and scraping up anything that may be stuck on the bottom of the pan, until the eggs cook into small clumps, about 1 minute. Taste and add more soy sauce if you’d like more saltiness or more kimchi if you’d like more heat and acidity.

4.    Spoon the quinoa into heated bowls and garnish with the green onion. Serve hot.

It’s that easy: Both sweet and spicy, gochujang is a Korean chile sauce that’s made from chiles, rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. You can buy it in small tubs at Asian markets and some grocery stores. It will keep for months and months in the refrigerator, and you can use it like you would a barbecue sauce on just about anything you’d like to spice up. Kimchi is a spicy condiment of (usually) pickled cabbage and peppers. Both spicy and tart, it adds interest to soups, stews, egg dishes, and wraps. It can be a little stinky, I’m not gonna lie, but you don’t have to smell it. Just eat it; it’s so good.

Extra hungry? Add another egg to make the dish more substantial.

In the glass: A Riesling from Trimbach is easy to find and easy on the wallet. Rieslings are famous for matching up with spicy Asian flavors because they are dry but with a softly sweet edge that mellows Asian food’s spicy side.