March, 2017

The other day my family visited my brother and sister-in-law and enjoyed quite a feast.  Upon returning home I decided it was the perfect night for a healthy, quinoa dish.

There are endless ways to prepare quinoa.  Hot.  Cold.  With veggies.  With meat.  Nuts, seeds, cheese….

I like experimenting with different combinations, and this time I scored a home run and couldn’t wait to share it with you!  It’s the perfect mix of veggies with some crunch and a little sweetness to boot! (Don’t forget to check out the time saver tips at the end of the post.)

Presenting…

Veggie Quinoa Crunch

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red quinoa prepared with vegetable broth (instead of water)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 10 ounce package sliced mushrooms, chopped
• 1 bag frozen cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup blanched almonds
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the frozen cauliflower on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush with one tablespoon olive oil.  Roast cauliflower for 45 minutes, stirring about 3 times throughout so that it browns evenly. (You can roast it more or less, depending on how browned you like it.  I, personally, like it pretty browned.)
• In the meantime, prepare the quinoa according to package directions, using vegetable broth instead of water.
• Saute the garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes in a medium to large saucepan.  Add the chopped onions and saute another 5 minutes.  Add the chopped mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are completely cooked through.
• Drain any remaining water from the mushroom/onion mixture and put back in the pan.
• When the quinoa & cauliflower are finished, stir them both into the onion/mushroom mixture.
• Stir in salt, almonds and cranberries.
• Serve warm.

Time Saver Tips:  

Because of the following time saver tips, the only ‘work’ for this recipe was chopping the mushrooms, which for some odd reason I actually really enjoy doing!!

1. As you can see I used frozen cauliflower as a time saver.  (no washing, cutting, dealing with cauliflower crumbles all over the place)
2. I bought garlic already minced.
3. I bought onions prechopped.

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