Collard Green and Quinoa Taco Filling from Nutrition CHAMPS

A while ago my friend Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen, invited me to contribute a few recipes to her new book, Nutrition CHAMPS. I wanted to contribute something to the greens section so I immediately thought of this recipe for Collard Green and Quinoa Taco Filling.

What does CHAMPS mean? CHAMPS is Jill’s acronym for cruciferous vegetables, herbs and spice, alliums, mushrooms, peas, beans and lentils, and seeds and nuts. If you add just a few of these to your daily meals you’ll get the benefits of these nutritious foods.

The book is pretty cool and contains 200 recipes from 45 different recipe developers, including cookbook authors and some of your favorite bloggers.  There are raw and cooked recipes from breakfast through to dessert, so you can healthy up something every day. Most recipes are low in fat, many are gluten-free, soy-free and/or oil-free.

Every chapter focuses on one of the food categories and Jill gives you some good introduction for each. And you’ll find more tips and tricks in the sidebars and recipe head notes.

I think Nutrition CHAMPS would be a good book for anyone looking to add more nutrient dense foods to their meals. It would also be a great source to add some new recipes to your standards.

What’s your go-to nutrient dense recipe?

Collard Green and Quinoa Taco in Nutrition CHAMPS

This recipe is one of my favorites because it has a ton of leeway. Have leftover rice or millet? Use it in place of the quinoa. No red peppers? Use green peppers or toss in the leftover cooked veggies from last night. I love collards in this dish but any quick cooking green will do. Your family will never know you’re actually cleaning out the fridge on taco night!

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Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Kathy Hester

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 1 cup broth or water divided
• 1/2 small onion about 1/2 cup
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper
• about 1/2 cup
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• to taste
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
• to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 cup chopped collards
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Add a few tablespoons of broth or water to a large pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add the red pepper, as well as more broth as the pan gets dry. Cook for about 5 minutes more or until the peppers become tender.
• Add more broth if the pan is dry so the mixture will not stick to the pan. Stir in the cooked quinoa, 1½ teaspoons cumin powder, 1½ teaspoons chili powder and all the paprika. Cook and stir until the mixture just starts to get rid of the excess liquid. Then stir in the collards and the nutritional yeast.
• Cook for 2–3 minutes more or until the collards become tender. Mix in some salt, taste and add more spices if needed. Serve in baked taco shells or whole wheat burrito shells. You can also use soft taco shells or whole wheat and gluten-free choices as needed.
• Add toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, avocado or salsa. If you are avoiding taco or burrito shells, this also makes a tasty and nutritious salad topping!

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 273mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g

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