Quinoa and I met a few months back. We've only hung out during breakfast; we made this porridge from Aarti Paarti. Today, we had a date for my Lunch Challenge.
I used Mediterranean ingredients like oregano, feta, and tomatoes as the base for my quinoa bowl. The mushrooms and broccoli came along because I had a craving for them. All of the ingredients are below, not all are necessary. I should have limited the invites to this lunch party. The debris of green florets, lemon zest and feta crumbles was out of control. If you're making this for two or more people, you could serve it family-style. Set out a large platter of plain quinoa surrounded by small bowls of accompaniments so everyone can customize their own. I'm gonna try some themed bowls:
- Roasted Bowl - asparagus, cauliflower, and broccoli.
- Southwest Bowl - corn, black beans, red onion, and shrimp.
- Winter Bowl - butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and kale.
Note: the quinoa box says you don't have to rinse it but I think rinsing is key getting a neutrally-flavored product. I pour the quinoa in a large bowl, rinse with water, and drain through a sieve twice.
ingredients
Cooked quinoa
Feta cheese
Grape tomatoes
English cucumber
Steamed broccoli
Sautéed crimini mushrooms
Flat leaf parsley
Lemon oregano vinaigrette (homemade)
unnecessary ingredients
Canned chickpeas
Slivered almonds
Dried, sweetened cranberries
Basil