The best grain of all, in my opinion, is the superfood quinoa! Pronounced “Keen-Wah,” this ancient grain is packed with 14g of protein per serving. This superfood is rich in antioxidants including iron, vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. It is a gluten-free food and is one of the few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids.
Its versatility makes the recipe choices endless. Use it in salads, soups, main dishes, meat, poultry, fish, or plant-based products! I make a big batch on Sunday then use it in a variety of recipes during the week.
One of my favorites is including roasted vegetables (recipe below). And if you’d like even more preparation ideas, here’s a quick link to all of my quinoa recipes!
Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables
Easy and delicious recipe filled with protein, essential vitamins, and nine amino acids.
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa White, red, black, or multi-mixed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups water Even better, use 1 cup water & 2 cups of vegetable broth!
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil Optional
Roasted vegetables
- 1 4-6 oz package sweet peppers
- 1 medium onion Sliced
- 1 8oz package mushrooms Sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Quinoa
- Rinse quinoa well.
- Put in a sauce pan with water/veggie broth & salt.
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Quinoa will absorb the water/broth and change color to clear when it is done.
Roasted vegetables
- Turn oven temp for roasting to 425 degrees Prepare roasting pan with parchment paper and add a thin layer of oil.
- Prepare vegetables: wash and slice.
- Spread veggies on roasting pan; sprinkle with salt & pepper and other seasonings as you wish. I like to add garlic as well.
- Sprinkle lightly with olive oil to coat veggies.
- Roast for 25 min or so, turning several times during the cooking time to get that beautiful roasted look on the sweet peppers and until all vegetables are cooked.
- Once vegetables are done, add mushrooms and onions, and mix lightly into the cooked quinoa. Place sweet peppers around quinoa in the serving plater.
Notes
Melissa’s Modifications:
The versatility of this superfood make it a perfect food due to its nutritional value. It is loaded with protein, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and is gluten free! Choose any vegetables, grilled asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Add spices of your choice when preparing this dish.
You can add 6 oz of grilled protein of your choice too – fish, tofu, or a chicken breast.
May be served hot or cold.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 21.8gProtein: 5.2gFat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 8.2mgFiber: 3gSugar: 0.7g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
