Toasted quinoa, kale and lemon bake

Serves 4 , 30 min prep time and 35 cooking time

This go to is a goodie is out of Anne Jones cook book. Beautiful recipe that can be adapted easily to suit your dietary needs or what you have available in your pantry.

Ingredients

• 200g quinoa

• 1 bunch of kale cut into fine strips (about 200g)

• 2 tablespoons of butter (options to sub for coconut)

• 2 tablespoons of flour (spelt, white or what ever you have)

• 170ml of milk (unsweetened almond is best for a nutty flavour)

• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

• zest and juice of a lemon

• 30g of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

• 100g cheese (Gruyere or Parmesan or nutrition yeast)

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 210 degrees fan. Butter a medium oven dish.

2. Rinse the quinoa, put into a pan and toast for a couple of minutes with on oil until it smells nutty, stirring to ensure it doesn't burn. Add a pinch of salt and 1 litre of boiling water, bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until tender. When the quinoa is cooked, drain and sieve (catching the water in a bowl underneath to use for later).

3. Half fill a large saucepan with boiling water and bring back to boil. Add a pinch of salt. then add kale leaves (you may need to press them down to ensure they are submerged in the water), cook until tender (this takes about 3 minutes). Drain the kale well and blend into a puree with 4 tablespoons of its cooking water.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan until bubbling, add the flour and cook for a minute, add 200ml of quinoa cooking water and the milk. Stir over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened (this will take a few minutes). Add the spices, the lemon zest and salt and pepper.

5. Add pureed kale, lemon juice, parsley and cooked quinoa and grate in half of the cheese. Pour into a greased baking dish and grate over the remaining cheese. Bake for 35 minutes, until crisp on top.

6. Serve hot or left overs can be sliced once the bake has cooled off and warmed again in a pan with olive oil.