making the most of a leisurely morning: poached eggs on sautéed quinoa and kale with lemon zest

I woke up early and donned tennis whites. It's now almost noon and I'm still in my tennis whites, though they won't see a court today. Best laid social/workout plans derailed by a sick child. The upside of a morning tethered to the house: time to make a leisurely breakfast. Actually it took me about 10 minutes to make... but that's 10 minutes I don't usually have on a busy school morning. I'll share the recipe with you, in case you too find yourself with 10 extra minutes, and some quinoa, kale, eggs, and a lemon...

Sauteed Baby Kale and Quinoa with Poached Eggs and Lemon Zest

(serves 1 happy mom)

olive oil

1 cup organic baby kale

1/2 cup cooked quinoa*

1- 2 eggs

1 teaspoon vinegar (I used cider vinegar)

zest of 1 lemon

coarse sea salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. While waiting for that to boil, sauté kale and cooked quinoa in a bit of olive oil. (I used Olave Garlic-infused oil, yum). Pop a lid on the greens and quinoa, turn heat off and just let the kale wilt a bit. Pop the kale/quinoa mixture onto a pretty plate. (Remember, this is the bright spot in your day...)

When the water in the saucepan comes to a boil, turn heat to low so it's just at a simmer. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water, then stir it in a circular motion with a spoon to create a 'whirlpool'. Slide cracked egg(s) into the center  of the 'whirlpool', then let the egg cook for 3-4 minutes. (This will cook the whites but leave the yolk a little runny.) Remove the egg with a slotted spoon, and place it/them on top of the kale/quinoa mixture. Grind a little salt and pepper over the top, and zest a lemon atop that. Perfect. 

* I've started making a bowl of quinoa at the beginning of the week and storing it in the fridge. Not that it takes long to make, but kind of like cut up fruits and veggies-- having it readily available and ready to go means that I'll use it!