Veggie Rainbow Quinoa


Today was all about two words: Cider. Mill.

If you're not fortunate enough to live near one, or in an area where tree leaves currently look like a hot-dog condiment bar, I'll mail you a pocket of current West Michigan air so you can get on board. Better yet, make this rainbow quinoa for dinner—it's as colorfully festive as the big old trees in my neighborhood, and uber flavorful.

The recipe was born out of my overflowing veggie drawer, annnd possibly a self-imposed quit-all-the-cookies project. I know you know what I mean.

I didn't think this would be such a hit, but it was. B gobbled it up with a side of kale chips (mah man!), and I plopped mine on top of tortilla chips with a little melty cheese for a round of healthy lady nachos. If I can't have cookies, I can at least have nachos, no?

I made a new big ol' batch of this for lunches and dinners this week. I imagine I'll mix it into a salad one day, pair it with grilled chicken the next and unapologetically inhale it plain while watching New Girl.

Dang, with all these veggies I'm packin' down, I'd say there's clearly room for a little apple crisp made from the aforementioned cider mill trip; it's only right to balance a veggie-packed diet with some fruit.

Veggie Rainbow Quinoa
Ingredients
quinoa
chicken bullion (powder or cube)
red bell pepper
carrots
corn kernels
broccoli
red onion
lemon juice
your choice of spices

Directions
1. Cook the quinoa according to instructions; flavor the cooking water with a bullion cube or powder.
2. Dice all the veggies.
3. In a large skillet, saute the veggies until cooked through—onion softened and broccoli turned bright green (3ish minutes).
4. Add the cooked quinoa to the pan and combine.
5. Season to your liking. My preferred method is with some lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and a wee bit of chili powder. Toss in some cheese if you'd like—I've found it perfectly tasty with or without.

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