Italian Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

Quinoa is the super grain; I LOVE to eat it because it has all the essential amino acids you need, it's high protein, and fantastic fiber.  In my Spice It UP! series premiere, I tackled quinoa and how to prepare it. 

{Before adding some cheesy goodness!}

{Ben put too much cheesy goodness on it....  So yummy anyway!}

As I was poking around on The Shiksa website, I came across these 'quinoa bowls' she makes, and I knew I had to try them!  They are vegetarian, but I added meat (specifically deer this time but any other would work too!) for my husband.

{I made red quinoa as opposed to the white I made for the quinoa post; they are the same, but the red takes a bit longer to cook}

{Meaty veggie mixture simmering}

{Put quinoa on the bottom, top with vegetable mixture and cheese!}

Italian Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound meat of your choice (ground or cut into cubes)
1-15 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes (about 1 pound fresh)
2 cups beef broth
1 cup quinoa (red or white)
1 1/2 pounds vegetables of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Mozzarella or parmesan (optional topping)

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and add onion and garlic; cook until clear and fragrant.
2. Add meat and cook through.
3. In a separate pan, bring broth to a boil; add quinoa and simmer for 20 minutes checking to make sure quinoa doesn't dry out or burn.
4. Add vegetables, beans, oregano, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon basil; simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
5. Fluff quinoa with a fork; add remaining basil and lemon juice and stir.
6. Place quinoa in the botton of a bowl and top with vegetable mixture. Add cheese if desired.

This recipe can alternatively be made with any grain: rice, barley, etc.  Just adjust the liquid to the ingredient you choose.

Have you tried to make quinoa yet?  If not, please do!  You don't know what you are missing! 

PS--Quinoa does have a higher fat content than other grains so don't eat more that 1/2 cup cooked at a time!

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