Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

This is one of those recipes that will make it into the meal rotation consistently. When I came across a recipe for a vegetable 'fried' rice using quinoa, I thought what a fantastic idea. I'm always looking for ways to make my dishes more nutrient dense and this was a great recipe for that giving me protein and fiber. I'm happy to have another nice addition to my recipes as this was a nice use of quinoa and fantastic!

Another reason I love quinoa so much is it comes out of the fridge the next day as well as it went in. It also tastes just as great warm as it does cold. It's unlike rice that hardens and doesn't reheat very well for my liking. Quinoa is a sure staple in my kitchen.

This dish can go any way you like...add/subtract whatever you want...my favorite kind of cooking. You could up the amount of quinoa to vegetable ratio. Here I have one cup quinoa to about 4 cups vegetables. You don't have to use all these vegetables either but I highly recommend a good assortment for nutrition, texture and color. I have so many because I just plain love veggies. :) This is also a great recipe for a 'cleaning out the fridge' meal. Almost everything and anything will be tasty!

Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (I used tri-color quinoa)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
• one ear corn off the cob, you could use canned but tis the season and it is so sweet 
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets, cut small
• 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced...red, orange or yellow
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped, optional
• 1 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's Liquid Amino's or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• Sriracha hot sauce or dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

Rinse your quinoa. In sauce pan combine quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Once done remove cover and let set for another 15 minutes to soak up the excess water. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In wok or large skillet, heat oil at medium high. Add veggies and stir fry for one minute. Add tamari, garlic powder and other seasonings to taste. I added a few drops of sriracha to mine, a little goes a long way. This dish doesn't need a lot of seasoning, I felt that the tamari alone would suffice too. 

Stir mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes and remove from heat. I like my vegetables a little crisp, cook a few minutes longer if you like them a little softer.

Combine quinoa with the warm vegetable mixture and serve. Top with a little more sriracha if you like.

Enjoy !

Adapted from The Vegan Chickpea....Healthy Garden Vegetable "Fried" Quinoa