Fall Quinoa with Turkey Sausage and Kale cooked in Hard Cidar

This is a fantastically fall tasting quinoa dish. I actually found it on the Whole Foods website several years ago when I was learning to cook with quinoa. I made a few tweaks and it's become one of our favorite fall and winter quinoas. It's definitely a hearty main dish, and the ingredients are all pretty healthy AND YOU MAKE IT ONE POT.

 

Turkey Sausage and Kale Quinoa 

 

• 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage, cut into (1/2 inch) cubes (getting the fully cooked kind makes it cook quicker) 
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped  fresh sage
• 1 cup apple hard cider (the original says you can use pear too, but I never have)
• 1 cup quinoa , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• One garlic clove minced
• One teaspoon garlic salt
• 2  1/2 cups chopped kale leaves (I buy the bag of prewashed and chopped)

1. In a large pot, cook sausage, onions, garlic and sage over medium-high heat until just browned, about 10 minute s(no oil needed).
2. Add cider, quinoa, cranberries, salt and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is just absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Stir in kale, cover again  for a few minutes so the Kale softens. 

**Makes 4 servings (great as a leftover hot or cold)
***1 on Bryce's Dish Scale - ONE POT! And a cutting board.