Quinoa Stir-Fry

I can't believe Colorado is just two weeks away!!  Just two long weeks of hiking and rock climbing to prepare.  Working out takes a lot out of you and it's important to refuel your body properly!  After a workout protein is your friend, it feeds your muscles and helps them grow.  Contrary to popular belief, it's easy to find protein in a Vegetarian diet as long as you know where to look.  Quinoa is a great source of a lot of different minerals as well as 8 grams of protein in one cup (cooked).  I started with the Thai Peanut Quinoa I had made the other day and added some stir fried veggies.  This really hit the spot after a long draining hike!

Ingredients for the Quinoa:

2 cups cooked Quinoa

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1/2 Tbsp White Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

(add about a teaspoon of Sriracha if you like some heat)

 

For the Veggies:

1 Red Pepper

3 Carrots

1 Zucchini

1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp White Vinegar

(Sriracha Optional)

While the quinoa was cooking (check here for instructions) I heated the oil in a deep pan and added the cut veggies to it.  I cut the veggies a bit large so they would hold up to the heat of cooking and still have a slight crunch to them. 

Toss the veggies in the pan until they start to get soft around the edges.  Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, and vinegar and mix well.  Meanwhile, combine the cooked quinoa with the rest of the ingredients and stir it until evenly coated.  Once the veggies are done how you like, add them to the quinoa.  Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Quick Meal - Thai Peanut Quinoa Burrito

After a long day of work, and then a long hike up and down the pipe line in the Sourlands, the last thing I want to think about is cooking a meal.  That's why these quick meals are so important to me while I'm getting ready for our trip to Colorado.   But they can be good for anyone looking for something easy, delicious and most of all good for you.  Microwave meals are not your only option when you want to make a single serving lunch or dinner in just a few minutes.  And to be honest, before our roommate moved in, I had banished out microwave to the basement.  It wasn't a useful cooking tool in my kitchen. 

Today I made a Thai Peanut Quinoa Burrito.  You could easily replace the quinoa with chicken, tofu, shrimp or anything else you heart desires.  I picked quinoa because I had some left over.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked Quinoa

1 1/2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1/2 Tbsp White Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

(add about a teaspoon of Sriracha if you like some heat)

1 Tortilla

1/4 Cup Coleslaw Mix

Mix the first 6 ingredients until well combined.  Top the tortilla with coleslaw mix and then with the qunioa mixture.  Enjoy this protein packed meal after a workout or any time of the day.  This really hit the spot!

Mexican Quinoa

Quinoa is a yummy versatile food.  It had a lot of protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer.  It's a great addition to any diet, not just a vegetarian one.  I used to be hesitant to use it because I thought it was hard to cook.  Boy was I wrong!  This recipe would be a great side at a neighborhood picnic or even for lunch all by it's self. 

Ingredients:

2 Cups Uncooked Quinoa

4 Plum Tomatoes

1 Cup Black Beans

1 Jalapeno

8.5oz can Corn (no salt added)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice from 1/2 of a Lime

1 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

I wanted to add an avocado to this but I totally forgot!  Now there's an unused avocado sitting on my window sill mocking me.  I'll just have to use it in a different recipe this week, maybe an Ahi Tuna Salad!

Back to the Quinoa... There are a few different ways to cook it, so try experimenting with toasting it first, using broth instead of water or measuring the water and cooking it more like rice instead of pasta.  I like this method because it doesn't require me to be exact with the water and it does get over cooked.  SO SIMPLE!

Start off by washing the quinoa a few times.  I just put it in my sauce pan, add water and switch it around a little.  I strain it and repeat one or two more times.  Next, put the quinoa in the sauce pan, add water and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil and let it cook for about 10 minutes.  

Then drain the quinoa in a sieve, add about an inch of water back to the pot and put the sieve with the quinoa in it, over the water.  Cover with a clean towel, place the lid over the top and let steam, simmer on low for about 10 minutes.  Make sure to fold the corners of the towel over if they get too close to your heating element or flame!!!

While that's cooking, chop your tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro.  If you're adding avocado (which I HIGHLY recommend) chop that too!

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, mix thoroughly and salt/pepper to taste.  Try not to devour the whole bowl while "tasting".  

I love the satisfying crunch of the fresh tomatoes and jalapenos combined with the tangy lime juice and texture of the quinoa.  Everything comes together nicely!  This is good room temperature or cold the next day.  DIG IN!