Goat Cheese Quinoa Spinach Pilaf

This feels so decadent, but is really quite healthy.  A great side for anything - though salmon would go great with it.  This version makes a lot, so I recommend halving it.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 bag Spinach
1 cup Quinoa
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled (or Parmesan)

The un-crumbled goat cheese worked just as well.

1. Boil lightly salted water in a small pot.  Add quinoa and cook until tender - 15-20 minutes.

2. Drain quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in the drained pot and add sunflower seeds.  Cook until lightly toasted and brown, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Stir in cooled quinoa.  Add in spinach by the handful, stirring into the quinoa.  Cook until all spinach wilts.

If you cover the pot, the spinach will wilt quicker!

6. Stir in lemon juice and cheese; mix until cheese has melted.

I actually used too much cheese (though is there ever too much?), and could have only used 1/4 of the packet I bought.  Non-crumbled worked just as well.

Presto - healthy decadence.

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