Veggie Fried Quinoa

I ate the whole pan of this fried quinoa. It’s seriously so good because of all of the flavour and all of the veggies. I don’t know, there’s just something about a big plate of sauteed veggies, beans and quinoa that’s just so comforting and simple and homey. And it’s true that it doesn’t get much simpler than this- basically all you need to do is toss some stuff around in a pan, add a bit of other stuff, and you get delicious stuff.

In the ingredients list, I’m going to put down all the veg as “roughly chopped”, because I didn’t put a whole lot of effort into making it look nice. It’s all about flavour and ease here, people. This dish is also a great fridge cleaner. You know, when you have those week old carrots, that half an onion in a ziploc bag, and some tomatoes that are looking just the teeniest bit questionable. In my case, I also had some black beans in a tupperware container. Usually I have some leftover quinoa lying around, but I didn’t so I made some right before. But yeah, just toss all of these forgotten but beautiful things into a pan with some olive oil, then add your flavour boosters. Namely soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup. Yes, I put maple syrup in a take on fried rice. Trust me, it works.

Since, if you’re a speedy chef, you could whip this up in about 7.5 minutes, this Veggie Fried Quinoa could be made in the morning before school, or as a really quick dinner. I would say a more accurate timeline for making this quinoa would be about 10-15 minutes, which is still pretty fast. Just make sure you have your quinoa cooked before hand, cause that’s really a game changer. If you don’t need it to be vegan, you could add some egg or chicken for some extra protein. However or whenever you make it, this Veggie Fried Quinoa is definitely a winner because of it’s quick, easy, and really tasty. Hope you enjoy!!

Veggie Fried Quinoa

Serves: 2 (or 1 really hungry person aka me;)

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 a tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 a red onion, roughly diced
  • 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
  • about 1/4 cup of sliced mushrooms
  • 2/3 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the tomatoes, onions, carrots, black beans and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, until starting to get soft.
  2. Add the quinoa to the pan and stir, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes, until most of the water from the veggies has evaporated.
  3. Next, add the soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup, and stir to combine. Cook for a few more minutes, allowing the carrots to become tender.
  4. Remove from the heat and enjoy!

One of my favourite quick and easy recipes:) I’ll see you guys on Friday!!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Cherry, Peach and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

Hey guys! I’ve been pretty much eating the same things for breakfast during the time we’ve had to stay at home. I either have a smoothie bowl- which are awesome and my favourite- or just a big plate of fruit with some but butter- also very good. But today I had some leftover quinoa so I thought I’d experiment.

Quinoa is a super healthy; it’s a whole grain, contains some protein, and has all 9 essential amino acids. So it’s a great way to start your day! This recipe uses precooked quinoa, for when you have some leftovers and maybe not a lot of time in the morning. I’m starting summer school soon so this may come in handy.

To make these bowls, I cooked the quinoa in some almond milk and allspice, along side some peaches and cherries; two of my favourite summer fruits! The cherries turn everything a nice pink colour, and when you get a little bite of everything it tastes like a fruit pie😍😍😍

Hope you enjoy these Cherry, Peach and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls!

Cherry, Peach and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

Serves: 1

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup almond milk, or whichever milk you desire
  • 1 peach
  • 6 cherries, pitted and cut in half
  • 1/8 tsp allspice

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, combine the quinoa, almond milk, allspice, 4 of the sliced cherries, and 1/2 of the peach, diced.
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the fruit is soft.
  3. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, and top with the reaming cherries and the other half of the peach, sliced.
  4. Enjoy!

Have a great day and I’ll see you tomorrow for my last post of the month!☺️

Yours Truly,

Olivia

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Hi guys! I hope you’re keeping busy and satying safe;)) Spring is almost here, and so I thought I’d make a fresher recipe today. This Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad is light and makes a great lunch👍👍 I used tri colour quinoa, which I discovered a year ago and it’s awesome. It’s usually the same price as regular quinoa, but it’s three different colours and looks super cool. Also, there’s soy sauce mixed in with the avo, which is one of my new favourite combos. Here’s the recipe:

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Serves: 3

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the avocado and add in the oil, lime, garlic, and salt sauce. Stir until combined.
  3. Mix together the chickpeas, tomatoes, and peppers in a large bowl. Add in the quinoa and mashed avocado and stir. Enjoy!

Keep cooking and stay creative my friends;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Rainbow Stir-Fry

Hi guys! Stir-Fry is a quick and easy meal that tastes delicious. You can pack tons of veggies into it, and that’s what I did with this Rainbow Stir-Fry. The combo of veggies and amazing sauce makes this one of my favourite recipes! Hope you enjoy;)

Rainbow Stir-Fry

Serves: 2

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 small mushrooms, sliced
  • Handful of snap peas
  • Handful of purple cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs water

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in all of the veggies and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Mix the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and water in a small bowl. Add to the pan and stir to coat the veggies in the sauce.
  3. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and serve over rice, quinoa or noodles.
  4. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think of this Stir-Fry! Have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Monday!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Red Bean Burritos

Hey guys! I’m back from a bit of a lull in my posting schedule with these Red Bean Burritos. They’re full to bursting with delicious ingredients (and a lot of cilantro) to bring a ray of sunshine to your drab winter lunches! I made the filling with red kidney beans, but black beans work just as well. Top these suckers with tons of guacamole and salsa and you’ve got a fiesta in your mouth! Here’s the recipe;)

Red Bean Burritos

Serves: 2-3

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tbs cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/4 a tomato, diced
  • 1/2 a small onion, diced
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pita and salsa and guacamole for serving

Directions:

  1. In a pan over the medium heat, stir together the beans, water, and spices. Let simmer for about 2-5 minutes, until most of the liquid is gone and the mixture has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Mix together the quinoa, tomato, onion, cilantro and lemon juice.
  3. Warm up a wrap or pita and scoop some of the quinoa mixture, beans, salsa and guacamole into it. Wrap it up and enjoy!

*this recipe can also be enjoyed as a bowl- just omit the wrap and use more quinoa!

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))