Serves 2 (double quantities for 4)
This is a simple dish that is often served (with a variety of grains and flavors) at a favorite restaurant of mine: Café Gratitude. At the restaurant you can choose brown rice or quinoa (or both!) for your bowl, but I love quinoa (and it’s high protein content) so much that I tend to choose it over rice. You can also try it with amaranth or millet cooking them according to instructions on the package. When you make this dish, don’t be afraid to experiment with different oils, herbs, and vegetables to suit your taste. The possibilities are endless. Come and cook with us!
Ingredients
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
5 to 10 different vegetables*
Olive oil
One cup of broth (vegetable, chicken or beef all work fine, use what you have on hand)
Spices to taste: I like turmeric, cayenne, cumin and ginger, though oregano, parsley and basil work, as do rosemary and thyme. Experiment to find your favorite flavor!
* When you are choosing your vegetables for this dish, follow these simple rules for great taste: always include an onion, shallot, leek or garlic for the base flavoring; pick one or two vegetables from the brassica family (bok choy, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kale, rutabaga or turnip) for their nutritional properties; include a leafy green, and preferably one that can hold its shape with heat; add a carrot, tomato or even peppers for color and taste variety; and, if you’re planning to add winter squash, consider it a compliment, rather than the main event as it becomes soft and mushy when cooked.
Instructions
Rinse the quinoa and place it in a medium saucepan.
Add two cups of water and a pinch of salt and set over a high flame, until it boils.
Lower the flame and simmer the quinoa until it is cooked, 20 minutes or so.
Add more water to the quinoa if necessary while it is cooking.
Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces (roughly 2 inch x 2 inch) and set aside.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over a medium flame.
Add the leeks, garlic, onions or shallots (whichever of these you have chosen to use), and sauté, stirring for 5 minutes, until translucent.
Add the vegetables (while it is note essential, you can layer them if you choose, adding the tougher vegetables such as carrots and broccoli first, and then topping with the softer vegetables such as tomatoes or spinach later).
Add the spices and stir to combine everything. (Use generous helpings of the spices you’ve chosen. I usually use 2 tablespoons of cumin and turmeric, some chopped fresh ginger, and a ½ teaspoon of cayenne.)
Add the broth, bring the pot to a simmer and cover.
Let it cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the fibrous vegetables are tender. Roughly 20 minutes.
If you don’t have broth or a good selection of spices, use water, and a little miso paste at the end to bring up the flavor.
Ladle the cooked quinoa into two bowls.
Cover with generous helpings of vegetables and liquid from the bottom of the pan.
Come and Cook with Us 