Quinoa and Veggies with Sesame Soy Dressing

I’ve been a little lax on the posts lately. The truth is, I took a two-week hiatus. I traveled to a beautiful beach in Nicaragua for some much-deserved R&R and then spent some quality time with my parents as they vacationed here in San Diego.

In Nicaragua, we stayed in a lovely beach house. We chose to do all of our own cooking and grocery shopping which required a little more creativity than I had anticipated. I quickly found that common ingredients found in the United States are not necessarily commonly found ingredients in Nicaragua. And due to my inability to speak and read Spanish, items were added to my shopping cart based on images and pictures J As much as I enjoy beans and rice, I could do without these items for quite a while.

After returning to the States, my body was demanding green smoothies, whole-grains, and fresh produce! Quinoa and fresh veggies – you are all mine!

For Quinoa nutrition facts, click here to navigate to my Gluten-free Quinoa Veggie Pizza recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Quinoa, rinsed

1 ½ cups of water

½ cup of vegetable stock

1 large head of broccoli, cut into bite sized florets

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup of shelled edamame (use peas if you choose not to consume soy)

2 green onions sliced thin

Sesame-Soy Dressing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

2 tablespoons of low sodium tamari soy sauce

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of EVOO

1 clove of garlic (peeled and minced)

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

Sea salt

Directions:

Bring the water and quinoa to a rapid boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is gone.

While the quinoa is cooking, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Heat the vegetable stock in a deep skillet and then add the broccoli, carrots, and edamame. Simmer the veggies until tender but still crunchy (approximately five minutes). Pour the sesame-soy dressing over the veggies and stir until all the veggies are coated.

Dish the quinoa onto 3-4 plates (depending on portion size). Add the veggies and sesame-soy dressing, top with sliced green onions, and serve. Dig in!