I LOVE finishing things. It’s weird. The joy that I get from the last bit of toothpaste used up, or taking the last olive of the jar, or finishing a pen….okay that last one is quite a feat ADMIT it… but I digress! The female + Type A + Project Manager/List Lover in me LOVES to feel that sense of completion. Once something is opened in our house it immediately goes into that awkward “use me up” stage and has a bullseye on it. So, the half used bag of quinoa was starting to get on my nerves. Seriously, it was taunting me EVERY time I opened the pantry cabinet and I’d had enough of being laughed at by Quinoa!
Don’t worry, I’m not crazy. The quinoa didn’t actually laugh at me. But I vowed to incorporate into more meals because we both LOVE it and it’s quite the superfood! The mister taught me an amazing trick that makes the quinoa taste AMAZING! Have you ever tried toasting it first!? Serious, life meet changed! Check out the nutrients and protein that this little grain punches in my post for toasted quinoa here.
Well, I just have a little extra time on my hands these days So I decided to take up my reoccurring vow to cook through at least a FEW of my million recipes I’ve carefully drooled over and curated on my Pinterest boards. One of the dishes I REALLY wanted to try was for Quinoa Veggie “fried rice”. The mister has commented a few times that he REALLY likes fried rice while I’m not a big “rice” fan, BUT we both love quinoa. I found an AMAZING looking picture on Pinterest, pulled that quinoa out of the pantry and away I went!
I adapted the recipe since I prefer to use recipes as guidelines and then just change it up and see what happens and it was delicious!!
Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”:
Recipe adapted from Dam Delicious Blog Post
Yields 4-6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- EVOO
- 4 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4-5 large mushrooms, sliced (or to taste if you’d like more)
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 can corn
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cups toasted cooked quinoa (recipe for toasted quinoa here)
- soy sauce (to taste)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- Baby Bok Choy, base cut off so leaves are free, amount to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat dash of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a Wok (or medium skillet) over low heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- In the mean time, start the quinoa (full recipe here). Short recipe: Toast quinoa until it starts to pop, like popcorn and the outer shells turn a light to dark brown. Rinse under cold water and return to pan. Add water (1 cup water for ever half cup dry quinoa) and bring to a boil, continuously stirring. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes then “fluff” with a fork or spatula.
- Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender. Add a bit of water and soy sauce, cover with large lid and let steam for 5-7 minutes.
- Add corn, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until tender.
- Push all veggies to one side of the Wok and crack the eggs into the hotter side of the pan and “beat” in the pan, turning once cooked on the bottom. Mix into the veggies and combine all the goodness.
- Stir in green onions and bok choy.
- Add quinoa, mix thoroughly and let heat for 3-5 minutes.
Options:
- Cook eggs in Wok or Skillet first- fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces and add with the green onions at the end
- Use 1/2 cup corn and half cup peas
- Include fresh ginger
- Grate carrots instead of chop them
- Omit the Boc Choy
- Make a sauce for the dish and drizzle it over the cooked veggies at the end