Can you say Quinoa anyone?

So lately I have been super lazy when it comes to cooking. Usually I am pretty good about sticking to making meals out of the items I purchased at my local grocery store but this last week I was slacking. I ate out twice within in the week. Now for most people that doesn’t seem like much but for me (and Michelle will probably agree) it is kind of a big deal. I found that cooking is not only way more cost effective but more fun. Anyways, awhile ago I was in Trader Joe’s and for whatever reason I felt compelled to buy quinoa. If you are unfamiliar with quinoa, its a type of grain and can be used in any recipe where you would normally use rice. Now I have never cooked with quinoa but I had eaten it once before. I went home and searched the internet for some simple recipes using quinoa. I stumbled upon a recipe for Pineapple Fried Quinoa on my one of my favorite blogs, Healthy Happy Life , which is full of yummy vegan recipes. Just to set the record straight, I am not vegan but I do enjoy good food so I decided to give this recipe a shot.

Meal Prep & iPad with recipe

Prepping Tofu
This was my first time cooking with tofu.

Sautéing tofu with mushrooms & red onion 

Finished Product!!
Pineapple Fried Quinoa with Sautéed tofu and topped with mint & Tahini 

Overall I was really happy with result. This recipe called for a lot of items (Tofu, Quinoa, Shiitake mushrooms, Tahini) that I had never cooked with before. I did have to make some adjustments to my meal because I was missing a few ingredients. I had to unfortunately opt out of the maple syrup. I also forgot to buy safflower oil and instead used sesame oil, which I already had. I didn’t know what tamari was so I googled it (Mom, you would be proud..lol) and apparently it relates to soy sauce so I just threw that in where the recipe called for tamari. Trader Joe’s didn’t have solo Shiitake mushrooms so I opted for a mushroom blend instead. I also opted out of using pineapple juice (because I was low on pineapple) and nutritional yeast. Finally, instead of blending my dressing I instead topped my quinoa mix with a dollop of Tahini sauce and a sprinkle of fresh cut mint. Quinoa I realized is very filling so I only ended up eating one serving, which was nice and now I have leftovers for another day. Even with all the changes I made I can definitely say I would eat this meal again. 

Here is the recipe : 

 Pineapple Fried Quinoa

INGREDIENTS:

first saute:
Tofu Triangles
10 mini sized tofu triangles
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp tamari
fine black pepper
add in:
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

second saute:
1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
4 cups cooked quinoa (I used Trader Joe's Multicolor Quinoa)
1/4 red onion, diced
sauteed shiitakes + red onion from tofu saute pan
1 cup kale, shredded
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp dried jalapeno (for spicy accent)
to taste: splash of maple syrup and pinch of salt

Garnish saute:
1/2 cup finely diced pineapple
1 Tbsp mint, chopped

safflower oil for sauting

Tahini Pineapple Dressing
2 Tbsp Tahini
3 Tbsp pineapple juice
1 tsp chopped mint

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook your quinoa. I used 1 1/4 cups dry quinoa + 1 cup water + 1 cup veggie broth + pinch salt. Set cooked quinoa aside.

2. For your first saute, you will cook the tofu, shiitakes and red onion. Cooking them all in the same pan helps to season the tofu a bit. Start off with a thin layer of safflower oil. Add tofu triangles (dry them as much as possible). Allow to sizzle for a minute or so. Then add in tamari and maple syrup with a generous layer of black pepper. Cook on high 2 minutes on both sides. Then add in the shiitakes and onions. Cook until the veggies are tender. Remove tofu from pan and set aside. You can leave the mushrooms and onions and any excess liquid in the pan.

3. For the next saute, add the quinoa, pineapple, more red onion, mint, kale, nutritional yeast and jalapeno to the pan with a splash of safflower oil. Turn heat to high and cook for about 3 minutes - moving quinoa around so it cooks on all sides. A few crisped bits of quinoa is a good thing. Do a quick taste test and add a splash of tamari or maple syrup if needed. Transfer the fried quinoa to a bowl. Set aside.

4. Quickly saute the pineapple garnish. Just brown the edges a bit. The pineapple will pick up the flavor left in the pan.

5. Mix your dressing. Set aside.

6. To plate you can either use a pre-hollowed pineapple or a simple bowl. Add the fried quinoa.Then the pineapple garnish over top. Some fresh chopped mint on top is nice too. You can serve with the dressing and tofu on the side or you can add right over top this dish.