Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms on Quinoa

I just love this picture of my nephew Drew. His mom writes a great blog called Migonis Home. Drew loves the camera! I wish I lived closer to him because I would be first in line. He should hang on to that booth it may come in handy in a few years!! LOL

This is a great simple recipe that I found over at She knows vegan blog, I just love fresh basil and pine nuts. You can find hydroponic basil in the produce section in most grocery stores. Not sure how to cook quinoa? I have instructions below. Enjoy!

Sauteed peppers, red onions, and mushrooms turn quinoa into a colorful and delicious vegan dinner dish.

Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms on Quinoa

Serves 4

Ingredients:1-1/2 cups quinoa

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded, sliced
• 1 red onion, halved, sliced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• Handful of toasted pine nuts

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring quinoa and broth to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add peppers, onion, and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until peppers are lightly charred.
5. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve quinoa topped with pepper mixture. Garnish with basil and pine nuts.

  How To Cook Quinoa

What You Need

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (any variety — white or golden, red, or black)
Olive oil (optional)
2 cups liquid, such as broth or water
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Tools

Fine mesh strainer
2-quart saucepan with lid
Spoon

Instructions

1. Measure quinoa and liquid. Measure out 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups liquid.

2. Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water. Drain.

Why rinse quinoa? Rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home. Some cookbooks suggest soaking the quinoa but, in our experience, this is unnecessary.

3. Dry and toast quinoa in saucepan. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate.

4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the liquid and the salt (if using) and bring to a rolling boil.

5. Lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

7. Fluff and eat! After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. (You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.)

Additional Notes:
• One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.
• Some people like to add olive oil, butter, salt, or pepper. Cooked quinoa can also be used as the basis for pilafs, salads, breakfast porridges, and more.