Winter Quinoa Bowl

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods. It is versatile and you can include it in dishes either warm or cold. I have been eating quinoa since I was a child in Lima, Peru, but it has always mainly been a diet staple for the Andean people living in the mountains. I was lucky that my grandfather knew the nutritional value of quinoa and made sure it was served in our home regularly. Quinoa originated in the Andes thousands of years ago and it has since reached far out to our tables here in America. I am always still happily surprised when I hear about people eating quinoa or I see it served in a restaurant. I still can't believe my luck that quinoa has become such popular food. And rightfully so since quinoa is a powerful plant food packed with a balanced set of amino acids giving us a complete source of protein. Another advantage is that quinoa is a gluten-free grain and therefore accessible to people allergic to gluten or wheat. Quinoa can be cooked directly as you would cook rice or you can toast it first before cooking. The recipe today is an easy winter bowl that is crunchy, satisfying and delicious. You can have it as a main meal or as a side and it keeps great for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

You need:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of broccoli partly chopped
• 1 cup of edamame beans cooked
• 1/3 medium-sized red onion chopped into small pieces
• 1 large tomato chopped into small pieces
• 1/8 cup of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

In a 2 quart pan add two cups of water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the quinoa. Stir and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and turn heat to the lowest setting. Give it 10-12 minutes and check to see if all water has evaporated. Turn heat off and let quinoa sit for two minutes. Fluff with a fork. In a separate bowl place edamame, broccoli, onions and olive oil. With your palms, rub oregano and let it fall into the mixture. This will allow the flavor of the dried oregano to be at its peak. Add the quinoa and mix everything together well. Add salt and pepper to taste and add more olive oil if needed. Enjoy and namaste! Serves 2 as a main dish. the foodini, aka Tabatha, at Kitchen to Nirvana