Now she’s cooking! Kristin Cavallari invited Us Weekly into her Nashville home to make one of her favorite easy meals: cherry-pistachio quinoa.
“This is a great side dish, or I actually like it for lunch,” the 29-year-old shoe designer, who recently released the lifestyle manual Balancing in Heels, explained. “And it makes a ton, so you can put it in the fridge and even snack on it for a few days.”
The former Hills star told Us she does “90 percent” of the cooking for her family. Her husband, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, 32, handles the rest. “One of us has to be on child duty while the other one is cooking,” said the mom of Camden, 3, Jaxon, 22 months, and Saylor, 4 months. “But I find it to be incredibly therapeutic. I just love it, so I’m usually the one in the kitchen.”
Cavallari wasn’t always so comfortable with a whisk and spatula. “When I first had my first son, Camden, I couldn’t do much in the kitchen,” she admitted. “But I was determined to learn. I always had envisioned myself as the mom that would be cooking and had family dinners every night, so I always wanted to. And I just sort of started cooking one day and I was horrible at first, but now I’m OK. I can make some good meals!”
Check out Cavallari’s cooking skills in our new Inside My Kitchen video series above, and try out her recipe below.
Cherry-Pistachio Quinoa
Serves 4
2 tsp, plus 2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp finely chopped shallots
1¾ cups raw quinoa, rinsed
½ cup dried tart bing cherries, chopped
⅓ cup dry white wine
2–3 tbsp lemon peel (1 lemon)
3 tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1. In a medium pot over medium heat, warm 2 tsp of the oil. Add the shallots and cook, covered, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and toast 2 minutes. Add the cherries, wine and 2 cups water. Cover; bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tbsp oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
3. When the quinoa is tender, remove from heat. Fluff with a fork and let sit 2 minutes. Add the quinoa mixture and pistachios to the dressing. Gently toss to combine. Serve warm or slightly chilled.
