Quinoa Stir Fry

 

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbs peanuts, chopped
1 1/2 tsp diced fresh ginger
1  cube of fresh ginger, whole
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
cilantro
2 green onions
1-2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs garlic chili sauce
3 cups mixed vegetables

How to make Quinoa Stir Fry

Like most of my recipes, this is something that you can use just about any vegetable you have in the fridge.  Usually, I like to add some carrots, celery, broccoli, and then some frozen Asian style stir fry vegetables.  Feel free to use whatever you have around.

In a medium sauce pan, combine washed quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of stock, a few leaves of cilantro, and the large piece of ginger.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes and then let sit for 5 more off of the heat.

In the mean time, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, shallot, ginger, and fresh vegetable.  Saute for about 4 minutes.  Add remaining vegetable stock slowly.  Add lemon/lime juice and soy sauce.  Add in the frozen vegetables, if using.  Cover, and simmer over medium low heat until warmed through and vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cilantro, green onions, and garlic chili sauce.  Serve over fluffed quinoa.  Enjoy!

Quinoa with Garlicky Vegetables

 

Ingredients

For the Quinoa:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1.5 cups vegetable stock
1 pinch red pepper

For the Vegetables:
1 tbs oil
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 celery stalk, diced
1 green onion, sliced
a handful of cashews, lightly crushed

How to make Quinoa with Garlicky Vegetables

This is a very healthy dish that will make you feel full and satisfied without feeling heavy.  The crunch of the nuts, cabbage, and celery offer a nice contrast to the soft kale and quinoa.  As always, feel free to add more vegetables!

The recipe as shown also includes many ingredients that help cleanse the liver, which, let's face it, we can all use this time of year.

To prepare the quinoa (the only grain that's a complete protein), begin by rinsing the quinoa in warm water using a fine sieve.  Then, in a medium pot, bring the vegetable stock, quinoa, and red pepper to a gentle boil.  Cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Quinoa is a very forgiving grain, so if you find that you do not have enough liquid, you can add more without ruining it.

For the vegetables:
In a large skillet/saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook for one minute.  Then, add the kale, coating it all in the oil.  Saute for about 2 minutes and then slowly pour in some of the stock. 

Let the kale wilt in the steam.  When the kale is just about done, add the cabbage and the celery.  If needed, add more stock.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes.  (I like my vegetables crunchy, so if you like them soft, feel free to cook longer).

Top the quinoa with the mixture and garnish with the nuts and green onion.  Enjoy!