DFJ wanted to eat dinner at 7:00 instead of 8:30. That actually turned out to be a
great idea as I
always feel that eating between 8:30 and 9:00 on a weeknight is
a little too late. I tend to snack multiple times after dinner and because of
that, I think it’s safer to eat earlier in the evening. An hour later, we ran
to the gym and then I did another 15 minutues of cardio, lifted some weights, then
we walked home. It was brrrrrrrrrrr! I did some yoga stretches in the living
room for about 20 minutes and felt good!
Quinoa
is something I have never heard of until a year ago. DFJ made me a quinoa dish
once, and then another time (because I liked it so much), that was cooked with
brown rice in chicken broth and sautéed onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers,
then garnished with toasted pine nuts. The third time I had it was when my
friend Emily invited me over for dinner and we had a side dish of red quinoa
boiled in salted water. It was made so simply, but it went really well with
everything else we had.
So,
here is a quinoa recipe that I adapted from DFJ’s. It is a very healthy dish,
full of good vegetables, the real flavors of each you can taste in every
bite. You can eat as much as you want to without feeling guilty!
A
note on the pine nuts though… I have mixed feelings about these little white
crunchies. Sometimes I like them and at other times, not so much. They do add a
nice crunch and a nutty flavor to every bite, so if you’re a big fan, go for
it. However, if you opt out on the pine nuts, I won’t hold you back.
Vegetables
and Quinoa (Makes 4-6 servings)
1 cup quinoa
1
cup chicken broth1 cup water
2
tbsp olive oil
4
cloves garlic, minced 1 red onion, medium
1 inch ginger root, minced
2 portabella mushrooms
2 carrots, medium
1 bell pepper, medium
5 cups spinach, loosely packed
1 tsp Kosher salt
pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ cups toasted pine nuts (optional)
In
a small, non-stick pan, toast pine nuts in medium-low heat until they are
slightly brown and fragrant. Transfer to a small plate and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Add the quinoa and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
While
the water is boiling and the quinoa is cooking, roughly chop onions, mushrooms,
carrots, bell peppers, and spinach.
In
a large pan, heat olive oil. Sauté garlic until it is golden brown, then add
the onions and ginger. Cook until the onions are almost translucent. Stir in
the mushrooms and add ½ teaspoon of the salt. Sauté until the mushrooms are
soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the
bell peppers and sauté for a minute. Stir in the spinach and sauté until it
wilts. Season with balsamic vinegar, the rest of the ½ tsp salt, and pepper.
Add the quinoa to the vegetable pan and stir together for about a minute. Turn off the heat and add the pine nuts.
What a great day, indeed!
Mhmm I love quinoa. This looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDelete