Quinoa with stir-fried vegetables is an excellent first course for celiacs and vegans. And naturally a good recipe for everyone!
Is quinoa a cereal? Actually, this seed is neither a cereal nor a legume. Its plant (annual) belongs to the same family as beetroot and spinach. It can be considered a gluten-free pseudocereal.
Quinoa is very nutritious while having a low-calorie content. It is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, minerals, and vitamins. It contains proteins of high biological value, having a percentage of essential amino acids similar to meat. For this reason, it is often recommended for people who want to reduce the use of animal products. Rightly or wrongly, it is considered a superfood. Find out more about this superfood here.
What color are quinoa seeds?
Quinoa sold in stores is: white – yellow, red, black, or seeds of different colors mixed together. In the store, it can also be found in flour or puffed form.
Another pseudocereal is buckwheat; experiment with its grains in cooking with this recipe here.
SEASON of the vegetables used:
#CARROTS – all year round
#FENNEL – from September to June
#LEEKS – from September to May
#ONION – all year round
#Cultivated champignon MUSHROOMS – all year round
#PUMPKIN – from August to April
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients for 2 people – QUINOA with vegetables
- 4.2 oz quinoa (black, white, red or mixed)
- 7 oz Water (or broth)
- to taste Salt
- 4.2 oz Quinoa (yellow, black or red)
- 14 oz Water
- to taste Salt
- 1 leek (3.5 oz)
- 1 carrot (2.8 oz)
- Half fennel (7 oz)
- to taste Oil
- to taste Salt
- Half onion (3.5 oz)
- 5.3 oz Pumpkin
- 5.3 oz Champignon mushrooms
- to taste Oil
- to taste Salt
- Half teaspoon Curry (or turmeric)
- Half teaspoon Ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
- 3 pinches Nutmeg (freshly ground)
- 2 sprigs thyme (or oregano)
- 2 pinches anise seeds (freshly ground)
- 2 pinches Coriander seeds (freshly ground)
Tools
- Strainer/Colander fine mesh
- Pot
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Wok
- Ladle
Quinoa with Stir-Fried Vegetables
Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it well under running water.
Pour the washed quinoa into a saucepan with twice its weight in water or slightly less. Add salt.
Cook covered on very low heat for about 15 minutes from the start of boiling. Turn off the heat and leave in the pan for another 10 minutes to absorb all the water.
QUINOA Cooking by BOILING
Boil the water (3 – 4 times the weight of the quinoa), add salt. Add the washed quinoa. Cook for at least 20 minutes. Drain.
PREPARE the VEGETABLES
Wash and cut the selected vegetables:
first VEGETABLE MIX
CARROTS: into rounds
FENNEL: into thin slices
LEEKS: into rounds (both white and green parts)second VEGETABLE MIX
ONION: into slices
CHAMPIGNON MUSHROOMS: into slices
PUMPKIN: into small slicesCOOKING the VEGETABLES
VEGETABLES stir-fried in a pan
Cook all the vegetables in a wok (or low non-stick pan) over high heat with a drizzle of oil, salt, and your preferred spices for about 5 minutes or until the desired tenderness is reached.
If preferred, cook first: gently and alone the leek (or onion), then once softened, add the remaining vegetables.VEGETABLES steamed
Steam the preferred vegetables until al dente and then cut into smaller pieces.
VEGETABLES boiled
Boil the vegetables in hot salted water. Drain when al dente and cut into small pieces.
RAW VEGETABLES
Clean and cut the preferred raw vegetables into thin slices or rounds.
GRILLED VEGETABLES
Composing QUINOA with vegetables
On a serving plate, create a layer of cooked vegetables and pour the quinoa on top. Serve with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
OR
Pour the hot vegetables and quinoa into the wok and let them flavor for a minute. Mix.
HOW TO COOK – how to use quinoa in cooking
° for summer salads
° as a substitute for couscous
° to fill and stuff vegetables
° in soup as a substitute for tiny pasta
° in the preparation of: burgers, croquettes, patties, or casseroles
° in cereal bars
° for breakfast: add cooked quinoa seeds to yogurt for absorption in plant-based milk (or cow’s milk)
° simple to accompany fish or meat
° add tuna to the quinoa with vegetables
° add pieces of fruit to quinoa with raw vegetables
STORING quinoa with vegetables
To store quinoa with vegetables, place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. Consume within 3 days to keep it fresh. Avoid freezing to not compromise the texture.
