This is adapted from a recipe called "Quinoa Pilaf" that I found on the phone app - 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. It calls for toasting spices and quinoa etc. I can't be bothered. So I adapted to a fast version that I made in under 30 minutes.
This is serving for one.
Prepare your quinoa - I always use 1/2 veggie broth and 1/2 water.
Dice/chop veggies: 2 stalks or 1 large stalk celery, 1/2 yellow onion, 2 small cloves garlic, about 3/4 C carrot.
Heat a bit of veggie broth or water to fill about 1/4 inch in bottom of a skillet. Add spices: cumin, oregano, cilantro (I use 2 parts cumin to 1 part oregano and 1 part cilantro). I like a lot of spice so I use a tsp of cumin and go from there.
Add the garlic and let it soften. Then add the rest of the veggies and cook about 10 minutes or until desired doneness. I like my carrots firm, but not crunchy. Stir the veggies to get coated with the spices. Then stir several times as it cooks. The steam and hot liquid will cook the veggies without boiling them. Don't put a lid on it or they just stay soggy.
Combine with 1 C of Quinoa, stir, and add any additional flavorings. I add a bit of Sriracha sauce and a dash of tamari sauce (low sodium) - maybe a tsp. Stir again and enjoy the spicy goodness of great flavor combo!!
According to My Fitness Pal app, here are the approximate nutritional values:
324 calories, 63 grams carbs, 4 grams of fat, 11 grams protein, 1029 grams salt (use water instead of broth to reduce sodium), 11 grams sugar.
Sodium is everywhere - even in celery and carrots! Adding veggie broth and tamari sauce (even the low sodium kind) produces a high salt content for the meal. Adjust ingredients accordingly to lower the sodium. You can drop 500+ grams of sodium by cooking the quinoa in just water.
Be a Happy Herbivore!
Onward <3
