Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Collard Green Grain Bowl

I came up with this recipe for the 2017 Georgia Organics conference. It’s a great meal idea for meatless Mondays, and a perfect way to showcase some of Georgia’s fine winter produce.

Produce from the farmers market tends to have so much flavor! A couple of things to keep in mind:

• The smaller the leaves on a bunch of collard greens, the better the collards. Small bunches are usually what’s sold at a local market. They will take less time to cook because they are more tender, and they won’t be bitter!
• Also, fingerling sweet potatoes from a local farm shouldn’t even be in the same category flavor-wise as a store bought sweet potato. Try it once and you’ll agree.

Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Collard Green Grain Bowl

yields 4 servings

Place the quinoa, veggie stock and sesame oil in a medium saucepot . Add a little salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Heat the fry oil to 350 degrees in a medium sauce pot. In a small bowl mix together all ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

In the meantime, heat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat and add 1 tbs of butter. Once hot, add the sliced sweet potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook without stirring for 4 minutes. If the potatoes are nice and golden brown, flip them over and continue to cook without stirring for another 4 minutes, cooking until they are golden brown and tender all the way through.

Place 2 tbs of butter in a medium sized dutch oven on medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and saute until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped collard greens, along with the tamari, chili paste, and sweet garlic chili sauce. Cook until tender, adding as much veggie stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Young collards should take about 10 minutes to cook, older ones take longer because they are tough and fibrous.

Combine the tahini with about 1/2 a cup of water, whisking vigorously until the consistency is that of egg wash. Dip the cauliflower in the tahini mixture and then coat with the rice flour. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drizzle with the garlic/ginger sauce.

To assemble, divide the quinoa between 4 bowls, then assemble the sweet potatoes, collard greens and fried cauliflower on top of the quinoa in separate piles. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts.