Big Quinoa Bowl

After reading Laurie's comment about the "Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa Recipe" posted at 101cookbooks.com, my mouth watered and I decided to have a go at it for dinner last night. For those not familiar with my favorite whole grain, quinoa is amazing. Great texture, easy-going flavor, as quick cooking as white rice, and the only whole grain that is also a complete protein unto itself. It's pretty darned amazing.

We had no asparagus on hand, so I substituted fresh picked kale from our container garden. Which is a bonus, because our kale is growing particularly abundantly and yummily.

Then, I decided to switch in sweet potatoes for half of the white potatoes, figuring it would add some nice flavor and also good nutritional value for me and the little one. Also threw the kale and potatoes into one pan rather than going for the separated colors aesthetic of the original recipe.

Finally, the recipe mentioned a citrus dressing that the author had used, but I decided to wing it a bit here as well. I mixed my own concoction, using olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a dash of spicy chile oil, a wee bit of honey and lemon juice, and some wheat-free tamari. The result was damned good, if I do say so myself (and Bob agreed).

The final result: a very yummy meal, fast to cook and nutritious. One I will definitely be making again! Happily, Bob and I also seem to have fallen into the habit of cleaning up together right after our meals together. It's so much faster than I think it will be, and every night we go to bed with all the dishes done. Fabulous!

The original recipe:

Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa Recipe

2 cups white quinoa, rinsed well
4 scant cups water
1 teaspoon salt
a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil
3 - 4 medium/large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc)
1-2 cups lightly cooked asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments

another splash or two of good olive oil or citrus dressing

Bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil in a large thick-bottomed pot. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa opens up revealing a little spiral and is soft and pleasant to chew. If there is any remaining liquid at this point, drain it off and set the quinoa aside.

Warm a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the potatoes and a couple pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes and cover for a few minutes to allow the insides of the potatoes to sweat and cook. Uncover, toss again, then cook a few minutes longer (uncovered) until the potatoes start to get some color. Continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispness. When they are cooked through and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt and scoop out onto a plate. Set aside.

In the same skillet (no need to clean) warm another splash of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up a bit.

Toss the quinoa with a splash of olive oil (I had leftover citrus parmesan dressing, so I used that). Serve each bowl of quinoa topped with potatoes, onions, nuts and asparagus. Alternately, you can toss everything together in one big bowl and serve it up family-style.

Serves 4 - 6.