Quinoa! What is not to love about quinoa?! It has become a staple in my pantry, unfortunately just for me, not the rest of my family. They still dig rice, but I'd choose quinoa over rice any day. It substitutes rice perfectly all while being a super food with all kinds of super powers.
Today's lunch I tossed together based on what I had. I boiled the quinoa in vegetable broth rather than water for some extra flavor and I added turmeric for extra health benefits. Be sure to add some black pepper to help your body absorb the turmeric. I pretty much try to add turmeric to anything I can (especially soups!). It gives it a beautiful golden color and offers too much to get into.You can read about the Benefits of Turmeric here.
So! Quinoa amped up with turmeric and pepper. While those little rascals are simmering away, it's time to chop and saute your veggies. What I had today was mushrooms, red onion, garlic, and spinach. I used avocado oil, my current favorite oil for cooking. I use a lot of coconut oil for all kinds of things, but I absolutely love the avocado oil. It is great for high heat and has no flavor, but who wouldn't want some avocado flavor in your food?
I chopped the mushrooms and onions and added them with minced garlic to my heated cast iron skillet.
After a few minutes I tossed in a few handfuls of spinach. Don't be shy! They wilt up to be small so throw those handfuls in liberally!
I topped my bowl of quinoa and veggies off with some Himalayan sea salt and added a teaspoon of pesto. Some pesto has dairy in it, so be sure to check labels if you are vegan or you stay away from dairy.
I just made the one bowl for lunch. I have enough left for another meal, plus quite a bit more of the quinoa by itself. I can pop it in the fridge and use it in a soup, salad, or another veggie dish.
Add in whatever veggies you have on hand. Let me know if you try it and what you think!
Quinoa
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Quinoa
1-2 tsp Turmeric
several cracks from the pepper grinder
Vegetable Saute
1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (or oil of your choice)
3-4 handfuls Mushrooms, chopped
1/4 Red Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
3-4 handfuls Spinach
1 tsp Pesto
dash of sea salt
Bring Vegetable Broth to a boil. Add rinsed Quinoa. Return to boil and simmer on low for 15 minutes, covered.
While Quinoa is simmering, heat a skillet with oil to medium to medium-high. Saute Mushrooms, Onion, and Garlic until onions are almost transparent. Add spinach and saute until spinach is cooked but not completely wilted.
Add quinoa to your dish and top with veggies. If you like, add your pesto and mix together along with your sea salt.
Eat it. Enjoy it. Love it.
