Chipotle Quinoa with Kale, Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

I have been on a kale kick lately, and that may be explained by the calcium content of said kale. I have been doing a fair amount of research on absorbable nutrients, and kale doesn't seem to contain the oxolates that spinach and chard do. What this means is that you don't have compounds that bind both the iron and calcium content of kale at play. That being said, I have read that if you cook oxolate-containing foods, then the oxolates should break down, leaving you with no problems in terms of absorption.

I use a rice steamer and end up with about 2 c of cooked quinoa. The measure for the steamer is not really standard, so I will note the proportion of quinoa to water that works for me at 5280 feet of elevation.

2 3/4 measures of water
1 measure quinoa
1 - 2 TBSP Chipotle salsa, fronterra seems to be good as it has distilled vinegar. Check yours to be sure it won't make you sick.

1 large onion, diced
4 TBSP olive oil
1 16 oz package of baby bella mushrooms, or standard white/button work fine, too
1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed

Heat a skillet on medium-high-ish heat, and add the olive oil but err on the side of medium so as not to burn the olive oil. When the olive oil has heated (it will have faint waves in it), add the onion and stir occasionally while they caramelize. Be careful not to burn them. About halfway through the caramelization process (20 min or so), combine the quinoa, water and salsa in the rice cooker and cook. When the onions are yellowing, add the mushrooms and finish cooking for another 10-15 min or so until mushrooms are amber-colored. Steam the kale for about 5 min. Serve quinoa topped with mushrooms, onions and kale.

Optional: top with unseasoned fat free refried black beans for a heartier meal.