Did you know that 70% of your plate should consist of vegetables? Well, this recipe fits the bill for sure. If you’re looking for a weeknight (or any night) healthy delicious dinner idea for yourself and your family, here it is; 10 vegetable quinoa. Yes, you heard that right, there are 10 vegetables within this dish that create all different types of flavors and healthy benefits; here’s how to make it.
Ingredients
Let’s start with the ingredients; which can be any of your favorite, even the top 6 high protein vegetables are great, but here are the ones I personally chose for this dish…
Asparagus; about 10-12 stalks chopped into pieces
Zucchini; 1 medium sized cut into 4 long pieces then chopped bite-size
Red pepper; chopped
Spinach; 1/2 of a 5oz package, chopped, preferably organic
Cauliflower; chop & boil a whole head for 8-10 minutes; set aside
Onion; medium-sized chopped
Garlic; 3 good sized cloves chopped or grated
Chickpeas; 1 small can drained and rinsed
Carrots; 2 medium sized chopped
Scallions; 4 of them chopped at an angle (fun a different look)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Flat leaf parsley; handful, chopped (or the fresh herb of your choice)
Extra virgin olive oil as needed
Organic low sodium chicken broth; I like the box version of Nature’s Promise from Stop and Shop.
Quinoa; my favorite is Near East Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Blend prepared according to box instructions with two recommended changes; I use 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth instead of 2 cups of water so that there’s more flavor and it doesn’t become mushy.
Preparation
Simply cook as many of your favorite vegetables as you’d like in whatever way you like them, there are no rules or regulations here. Just be sure to season each vegetable as you cook or add them to this dish with sea salt and cracked black pepper. The goal is flavor.
I start with a medium size pan on medium heat, a couple tablespoons of oil, and saute’ the carrots (they take the longest to cook). After carrots start to brown, add the onion, red pepper and mushrooms; continue to saute’. Next pour in the chickpeas, then the zucchini, stir in the asparagus and continue to mix together while trying to get everything to brown a little. Turn up the heat a bit if you have to.
Add the spinach and mix in. Next stir in the cauliflower and scallions. Then in a large bowel mix all of the vegetables into the quinoa and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Some other ways to spice it up!
I’ve made this dish so many times that I’ve found other ways to change it up and add even more flavor. You can top it with parmesan cheese or a little avocado. Once pulled together, you could fry it up Asian style with a little tamari or soy sauce. Within that same style concept, you can add a couple eggs, scrambled or atop. And then of course there’s always the option of adding proteins like grilled chicken, fish or shrimp. You can make this dish be whatever you like. Bon Appetite!
