cabbage & kale gratin

possibly one of the most delicious dishes i've put together. it's also taken from the new york times, but i modified it by substituting quinoa for rice. this post will also have much more detailed directions than the nyt version. you can refer to the original here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/health/nutrition/06recipehealth.html?_r=1

okay, here goes.

ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, washed, destemmed and chopped into slivers
1 small head of cabbage, quartered, de-cored and chopped into slivers
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (you need to have it already cooked and on hand)
3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese, firmly packed
3 tbsp breadcrumbs

it will help if you lay out these kitchen implements:
a large mixing bowl
several measuring cups
cooking spoon
large pot
2 quart gratin dish/casserole
small bowl
cheese grater
colander

to make:
wash and chop kale, set aside in big bowl
chop the onion and garlic
set the pot on low heat and heat 2 tbsp olive oil
when hot, put in the onion only and cook for 5 mins
add the garlic and cook for 1-2 mins

preheat the oven to 375

add the kale and some salt. the kale needs to be a little bit damp for this to work. cover the pot and let the kale steam, stirring occasionally.
in the mean time, core and chop the cabbage. when the kale is wilted, add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of water.

cover and cook for 10 mins or until the water has evaporated

in the mean time, beat 2 eggs in the large mixing bowl

grate and pack the gruyere cheese and measure out 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
when the water has cooked off, add salt and pepper to the cabbage/kale
stir 2 large spoonfuls of greens into the eggs - keep stirring to temper the eggs
gradually add the quinoa, cheese and the rest of the greens to the egg mixture. mix well so that everything is coated with egg.
scrape into a greased gratin dish, sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil

bake at 375 for 35 - 40 minutes or until the egg is set. let the gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving.

the dish can also be served at room temperature and makes wonderful leftovers.

this is a confusing dish for sides, since it is a vegetable and protein dish, but we served it up with a simple salad and some flatbread.