Do You Quinoa?

I love Quinoa. It is one of the staples of my kitchen. The reason being is that it so versatile and it's a complete protein. Now I love me a good bowl of pasta or rice, but this is just as easy to make and much more nutrient-packed.

If you haven't yet tried Quinoa, you should definitely give it a shot.

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
Quinoa (1 cup dry)
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
2 Cups Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper (or 1 small pepper), Cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Carrots, sliced into 1-inch coins
1 zucchini, sliced into 1-inch pieces ( I like half moons - slice the zucchini lengthwise and then cut into 1 inch pieces)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and Cut all Vegetables and place on a baking pan.
3. With a light hand, drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. Add salt and pepper (and any other seasoning you might prefer) and toss to make sure that the olive oil and seasoning evenly coats the vegetables.
4. Place in the oven to cook for 40 minutes. Tossing the vegetables about half-way through so they cook evenly.
5. Meanwhile (I wait about 20 minutes after I have started cooking the vegetables) rinse the Quinoa and cook according to directions. I make about a cup's worth of Quinoa (dry) so that I'll have leftovers.
6. Combine the Quinoa and Vegetables into one platter and enjoy!
   

It's that simple! This recipe can be amended to whatever you happen to have handy. I sometimes like to add a little lemon juice or lemon pepper to give it all a little kick. Also, the individual amounts of vegetables that I include are estimates. I try to keep them balanced, but if you like some vegetables over another or happen to have extra of something by all means adjust the recipe!

Isn't it Pretty?