Day Two Thirty Two - Quick and Easy Midweek dinner

Thinking about what to write for today's musings, I thought I'd continue with my weekly dosage of quick and easy dinners for one with my plan for this evening's dinner -- a green medley of yummy goodness.

Confession: I've been on a kale kick as of late. The dark leafy green vegetable in the cabbage family packs a fantastically nutritional punch -- high in antioxidants, full of Vitamin C, K, beta carotene, calcium, and more; it is also considered an anti-inflammatory. I think it's positively addicting when sauteed with some EVOO and garlic and shallot till golden brown. Delish and flavorful, filling and satisfying, it's been present quite frequently at my apartment recently.

For tonight's dinner, there will definitely be some sauteed kale. This evening I plan to combine some diced zucchini and summer squash with the kale in the pan. To get the right sort of infusion of flavors, make sure to put a top on your saute pan and cook the kale, zucchini, summer squash, garlic, shallots, and EVOO over medium heat.

While that's cooking, it's time to boil a pot of water to cook some of Fairway's green couscous and quinoa combined. The green couscous is spinach flavored and the mixture of that with the nuttiness of the quinoa is a perfect carb / protein source for me. The mixture of the two grains plus the grated cheese will give you a nice smooth, silky, and creamy consistency, not that far off from a risotto style dish, obviously not with the right grain though.

Once the couscous/quinoa mixture is nearing doneness dice up some basil and mix it in along with some grated Piave, a little bit of cooking white wine, ground black pepper and oregano. Piave, in case you're not familiar, is named after the river in the Veneto region of Italy where this cheese is produced and aged. A cooked curd cow's milk cheese, this cheese is similar in firmness and texture to a Parmesan but more nuanced and I think a nice change-up from the norm in terms of grating cheese.

Once this is done place the quinoa couscous mixture into a bowl with your sauteed veggies and then crumble some simple herbed montchevre over the top and some pine nuts. Then dress the entire bowl with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, EVOO, and Maille mustard). Now your warm green green salad is ready for enjoying. Healthy, filling, and delish -- you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own apartment to enjoy this good meal!