Quinoa is a high protein grain. When I eat a meal prepared with Quinoa, I don’t feel the need to add meat to the stir fry because the grain is so filling.
Here is my recipe for a great Quinoa Stir fry. I made this lunch for my husband and I the other day. The kids don’t like it when I spice up the food so much, so I don’t make this meal very often for our family, but when it is just Paul and I, I go all out in terms of spices and flavors. It was really yummy, and we had plenty left over for re-heat the next day. It actually tasted better the second day, as so many stir fry meals do.

Click on the photo to learn more facts about this amazing grain!
Recipe:
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup White Basmati Rice
Herbs
Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled
1/8 teaspoon Flax seed
1/8 teaspoon Coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
3 whole Cardamon pods
2 whole Cloves
1 teaspoon Tumeric Powder
1 teaspoon sea Salt
Hard boil the herbs in the water for five minutes, then turn the heat down and add in the rice and quinoa. Cover and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
Vegetable Stir Fry
Saute
one purple onion
one small sweet potato
3 cloves garlic
in 1/8 c. Olive Oil and 1/2 teaspoon of whole fennel seeds
Add in a couple splashes of Balsamic Vinegar when the potatos are soft
1 teaspoon sea Salt
A couple shakes each of ground
Pepper
Thyme
Oregano
1 large bag of Organic Broccoli
1/2 cup of water
Let the water steam the broccoli and reduce, then turn the heat off and let the vegetables sit until the quinoa and rice are finished cooking. Serve the vegetables over the Quinoa.

Preparing the water

Adding Quinoa and Rice to the water

Cooked Quinoa and Rice (the tumeric turns it yellow!)

Adding the fennel seed to the olive oil

Adding in the sweet potato and onion

I slice the garlic right into the pan (yes, my three year old son took this picture)

Saute the veges in the olive oil

When you add the vinegar to the stir fry it tends to stop the cooking action of the vegetables, so don’t add it in until the veges are as soft as you like to eat them!

Add in a bag of frozen broccoli

Spoon the stir fry over the quinoa for a healthy and filling lunch.
I pull out whatever whole herbs and spices I can see and put them on a napkin next to the plate. Nobody likes to chomp down on a whole cardamon pod or a chunk of ginger. If you happen to have this experience however, it promises to be one you won’t forget!

Jenny Hatch