For anybody seeking a simple, delicious and complete meal, consider this vegetarian-inspired quinoa dish for your next meal. The beauty of this meal is that you can make the quinoa in large batches and the vegetables in small batches so it can be eaten throughout the week. This meal is filling, affordable and versatile, simply by changing the vegetables and sauce that accompany the dish. Recipe and variation ideas below. Bon appétit!
You'll need the following ingredients:
Quinoa
Broccoli
Crimini Mushrooms
Golden Zucchini
Spinach
Walnuts
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Cook the quinoa with one part quinoa, two parts water, bringing both to a boil before reducing to a simmer for 12-15 minutes. When you turn the stove off, fluff the quinoa with a fork and put the lid back on to allow the grain to cook a little longer. While the quinoa is cooking, chop and prepare the selected vegetables, apart from the spinach, to steam. You can also sautée the vegetables, but steaming them is much quicker and healthier since you're not using oil to cook them. Begin steaming the vegetables when you turn the heat off for the quinoa.
While the vegetables are steaming, chop the walnuts and mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Dried basil is also a yummy addition. Lay a bed of spinach on a dinner plate and top it with the warm quinoa, steamed vegetables and chopped walnuts. Dribble the oil and vinegar on top to your liking. Black or white beans are great add-ons if you want more protein and pesto always goes well with quinoa. The quinoa-vegetable-nut combination featured here is of particular liking though!
Images courtesy of Tastespotting, Fiesta, Being Me, PA Farm, Bamford Produce, Superfood Lists, Birgit Reitz-Hofmann, Duke & The Doctor, Agritalia and IMG Party
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