Menu Planning Recipe: Quinoa Vegetable Stew

Here is a tasty, healthy, quick meal. I served it with buttermilk biscuits.  In full disclosure, my teenagers ate it, but didn't rave about it.  We had the neighbors over for dinner, and one of their teenagers had seconds. You never know.

Quinoa Vegetable Stew

½ cup. quinoa, rinsed well
2 Tb oil (I use coconut oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp salt
1 large carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes (I used diced)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 can black beans (garbanzo beans would work, too)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, cubed
½ cup corn, frozen or fresh
½ cup peas, frozen or fresh
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp chili powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tb fresh lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and salt and saute’, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the carrot and garlic, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the carrot is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes, and their juice, vegetable stock, bell pepper, zucchini, corn, peas and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are cooked to the desired doneness, 10-20 minutes.  Stir in the quinoa and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot, garnished with the cheese and/or cilantro, if desired.

Make ahead tip: you could chop all of the vegetables the night before and store in the frig.

From 3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery, by Seppo Ed Farrey