Steamers aren't just for rice...

I recently purchased a rice steamer, and I have to admit that while I love what it does for my rice, I absolutely adore what it does for quinoa. I figured out that using the same water to grain proportion for brown rice yields quinoa that is still tasty in left overs. Rice cookers come in multiple brands, sizes and configurations. I purchased a $20 14 cup Aroma rice steamer from Target, and I have been pretty happy with it. It does brown the bottom of whatever you're cooking, though, so you have to keep an eye on it. My friends who own the more expensive and musical Zojirushi promise that is not an issue. Well, I may have to upgrade, but I wanted to see if I was sold on the concept first. I am. :) I really like the steamer basket that sits on top of the steamer, this is great for steaming tough veggies like kale when I don't feel like roasting them with coconut aminos and sesame seeds at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The only complaint I have is that the kale may obstruct the steam and impact the cooking time for the grain beneath, so I typically put the veggies on in the begging of the cooking cycle and take out the basket after about ten minutes so that the rice or quinoa can finish cooking.

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.