The first time I made this quinoa recipe, it was to be used for a stuffed bell peppers recipe. My husband and I enjoyed the filling so much, we both agreed it was a meal on it own. He said, "Next time, save yourself the trouble of broiling the peppers and just make the filling." So I made it, again.
I don't care who you are, this vegetarian dinner is good all the way around. Giving the veggies a quick stir-fry over medium-high heat was the trick to making them crisp tender. I had frozen blanched spinach on hand. It took no time at all to thaw the spinach in the microwave on low power, squeeze it dry and heat it through in the hot skillet.
The quinoa, well, I cooked it up first and had it waiting on the sidelines until the veggies were cooked. If you don't have quinoa on hand, that's cool. Use your favorite rice. Just so you know, quinoa has higher nutrient levels than brown rice and it takes less time to cook. When you come across it in the store, pick some up and give it a try.
HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Serves 4 to 6
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked my way - Cooking Fluffy Quinoa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 red bell pepper, 1 cored, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fill a large cooking pot with water to start cooking the quinoa, follow the Cooking Fluffy Quinoa recipe. Once cooked, drain and set aside in warm bowl.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and cook carrots and onion until onion is translucent. Add in mushrooms and chopped bell pepper, cook until pepper is tender, 5 minutes. Add in cilantro, chopped spinach, cinnamon, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Continue cooking another 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
After the quinoa is cooked and drained, add 1 cup of the cooked quinoa to vegetable filling and toss together well.
i made this for company that i had over yesterday and it was SOOOOOOOOO GOOOD!!!.. actually my husband wasnt a fan for two reasons a. he doesnt like quinoa ( even though i keep making new dishes with it. whats not to like?!
) and b. he doesnt like cinnamon in anything but pumpkin pie ( actually that is a direct quote lol) but everyone else was into it. definately going to make it again!
YEAAAH!! Thank you for sharing with us, Jamie! I love it when a recipe comes together. And I’m with you. What’s not to like about quinoa? Actually, I had to teach my brain to stop thinking of it as rice and then I starting enjoying it for what it is. I wonder if your husband would be opposed to cardamon? It’s used in Indian dishes and often cinnamon is the substitute if we don’t have cardamon on hand. However, to me, it’s not that close to cinnamon. Cardamon is more savory in its aroma.
If you have access to a store that sells spice in bulk or by the ounce, pick up a tablespoonful and try it out. Let me know what he thinks. Don’t tell your husband! Let see if he even notices.