While I was skiing with my family in Squaw Valley this past winter, I would come off the slopes each day to have a Red Quinoa Thai Bowl from a great little lunch place called Soupa. I had never eaten red quinoa before, and I must admit that it has a nuttier flavor than the light-colored quinoa. My husband really likes it too. I tried to re-create Soupa’s Thai Bowl for an easy meal and this is what I came up with. It’s really nutritious and quite good in a pinch, especially when I’m making something else for dinner for my sons (they would not even try this).
I used a store-bought Thai peanut sauce for this recipe which is really very good and all-natural, but I’m sure the dish would be amazing with a homemade sauce. I will have to play around with that one and I will post a great Thai peanut sauce after I create one. But, for now, this simple dish was good in a jiffy. I prefer the Ancient Harvest brand quinoa in a box because the quinoa is pre-washed which makes life much easier. I always make the entire box, so I have leftovers for the next day.
RED QUINOA THAI BOWL
Ingredients:
1 box Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa (pre-washed)
“Annie Chun’s” All Natural “Thai Peanut” Sauce (I checked the ingredients and it’s vegan)
Organic roasted unsalted peanuts (add as many as you wish to the bowl)
4 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced
1/2 lb. pre-cut broccoli florets, chopped into smaller pieces
Pre-washed, packaged baby spinach (use as much as desired)
3 or 4 scallions, sliced
Directions:
Prepare entire box of red quinoa as directed on the box. Set aside. Add sliced carrots to a steamer basket and steam carrots for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Then add chopped broccoli to steamer basket and steam vegetables for a couple of more minutes. Then fill the rest of the steamer basket with baby spinach leaves and steam all vegetables until spinach wilts a little bit.
Place quinoa into individual bowls (use amount desired into each of the bowls). Add desired amount of steamed vegetables and peanuts to each of the bowls. Stir in the “Annie Chun’s” Thai Peanut Sauce (about one tablespoon but use more or less as desired) and mix up everything in each of the bowls. Add sliced scallions, as desired, and mix again.
Store leftovers in refrigerator for next day. Add or use any vegetables you wish in this dish. It’s all good!
