AUG
12

Asparagus & Veggies Over Quinoa

I’m fully embracing my vegan adventures in cooking as part of the 11×30 challenges. Or maybe I’m coming on a high from the successes of making cashew cheese and the “whole enchiladas” (sharing that post… next week? I want to make sure it wasn’t simply beginner’s luck). I whipped this little dish up to re-fuel after a very fun POUND. Rockout. Workout. class at Crunch Gym this past Saturday. The colors were so pretty being assembled, causing me to grab my camera and document the process. And after devouring every last morsel of this dish, I did my best to pull the recipe together. You can make this with any combination of vegetables you like; I happened to have the mix below on hand left over from the week of cooking. It’s an easy way to use what you have on hand to make a tasty, healthy meal.

And on a design note, the fun font used in the photos can be found here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (or less if you’re not a big garlic lover)
• 1/2 a purple onion
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1/2  pint of portobello mushrooms
• 1 to 1/2 cup of peas
• 1/2 package of firm tofu, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 tsp of finely chopped mint or basil
• Paprika, salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the quinoa according to instructions.
2. Steam the peas for 2 minutes if frozen; once chilled combine with 1tsp of mint or basil.
3. Chop all the veggies into 1-2″ pieces (roughly all the same size). Cube the tofu.
4. Warm the coconut oil on high. Add the tofu and sprinkle with paprika.
5. Brown the tofu on all sides (2-3 minutes per side).
6. Begin to add in the mixed veggies and stir around with the tofu and coconut oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to get a little golden around the edges.
7. Mix in the garlic, warming until fragrant and a little browned (1-2 minutes).
8. Add in the peas and stir until everything is combined and warmed.
9. Dish up! 1/2 cup quinoa piled with as much of the veggie mix as you like!

Yield: 1-2 servings

Isn’t garlic the best?  To maximize the health benefits – ahem, it’s cancer-stomping properties! – you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before cooking with it. This allows the enzyme reaction that creates the healthy compounds in garlic to do its thing. One more thing about healthy cooking comes via Jess, a.k.a. The Wellness Warrior, who offered up very compelling reasons for NOT cooking with olive oil. Looks like coconut oil and I are going to stay best of friends!

That’s all from me for now… my camera is finding its way back to Canon after a weekend of mishaps (wish it luck!). I hope you had a wonderful weekend and find a way to work this meatless dish into you next meal!