My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://www.frugalfunfortune.com/
and update your bookmarks.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Veggie Delights -- Delicious Big Bowl Quinoa


What Veggie Delights is all about: I'm convinced that I can share with you some really amazing meatless dishes that you will love, even if you're not a Vegetarian!

Okay, let's just go ahead and get it out of the way - my picture taking skills STINK! The picture above does not do this recipe justice. I promise you it is probably one of the most delicious recipes I have tried in a very long time. My husband and I both loved it!

The mixture of all the ingredients is just perfect. I love nuts, potatoes, and grains mixed together. It's so yummy. If you've never tried quinoa, you're in for a treat. It's kind of like rice or couscous or any other grain. The texture is what sets it apart, though (it's a nutty grain). You'll know it's done cooking when the quinoa opens up and you see little curly spirals. The trick with quinoa - DO NOT OVERCOOK! It's supposed to be just a tad crunchy-like. You don't want to overcook, or it will become a sloppy/soggy mess that has no texture at all. Quinoa is so healthy for you, and a great way for Vegetarians to get protein!

This recipe came from one of my favorite Vegetarian cooking blogs called 101 Cookbooks. I followed the recipe almost exactly as it is written.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, rinsed well
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
extra virgin olive oil
4 medium/large potatoes
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
1-2 cups asparagus

Directions:

1. Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a pot. Cook according to package instructions. Drain, set aside.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, dice the potatoes and chop the onions.

3. Heat some olive oil in a pan on the stove. Add potatoes and cook until tender and a little crispy (I like mine extra crispy, though).

4. Meanwhile, cook asparagus however you'd like to. (I simply boiled/steamed mine. It took about 5 minutes.) Also, place nuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer and toast in the oven until slightly browned.

5. When potatoes are done cooking, salt to taste and set aside. In the same pan, heat some more oil. Cook onions for a bit, then add minced garlic. Cook until desired softness.

6. Combine everything together in a large bowl: quinoa, potatoes, toasted nuts, cooked asparagus, and onions/garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Enjoy!

What About You:
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Labels:

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Perhaps a silly question, but where the heck do you find quinoa in the store?

April 1, 2010 at 12:15 AM  
Blogger Meagan said...

I think you can probably get it at any grocery store on the same aisle as the rice, beans, etc. It would be in an organic section.

You can also get it at a health food store - like Whole Foods, Earth Fare, etc.

My mother-in-law gets a HUGE bag of it for us from Costco.

Hope that helps!

April 1, 2010 at 7:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow that looks fantastic! I know what I will be making this week! on local grocery store has asparagus for $1.69/lb! THANK YOU!

April 2, 2010 at 11:27 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home