Tag: Quinoa

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa

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Looking for a simple, hearty recipe featuring whole foods and the superfood quinoa? Look no further. I have just the recipe for you!

Vegan burrito bowl with quinoa comes together in under 30 minutes plus it is versatile and highly nutritious. Loaded with protein packing black beans and fresh veggies along with amazing quinoa, you’ll turn to this recipe again and again for a savory meal.

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa title meme

Superfood Quinoa Benefits

Although technically a seed, quinoa is typically grown as a grain crop. Quinoa comes in red, black and white varieties.  It is gluten free, high in protein and one of the few plant based foods that provides all nine essential amino acids that the body needs.

Additionally, quinoa is high in fiber, magnesium, vitamins B and E, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antioxidants.

The seed’s antioxidants help calm inflammation throughout the body and provide anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-depressant properties. There are so many other health benefits from including quinoa in the diet that I wrote a post about it. Check it out HERE.

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa

The need to use an avocado before it passed its prime inspired this easy recipe. With basic pantry items, I created a filling bowl of goodness without the extra calories, meat and dairy products that a traditional burrito brings.

Although I didn’t prepare the vegan burrito bowl with quinoa in one pan…I used two…I think that’s a possibility, making clean up quicker and easier.

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa

journeywithhealthyme
Quick and filling burrito bowl featuring superfood quinoa
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked black beans may use 1 can black beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn may use half a can of corn
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, in juice. Do not drain.
  • 2 tsp Mexican seasoning may use cumin or chili powder
  • 3 cups shredded lettuce, for bowl
  • 1 avocado, diced, for bowl

Instructions
 

  • Combine 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • White quinoa cooks, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms and bell peppers, stir frying until veggies are almost tender. Add frozen corn, diced tomatoes in juice, black beans and seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is done.
  • When quinoa is done, remove from heat, fluff with a fork and add to veggie mixture. Mix well. Season with sea salt and black pepper, if desired.
  • In a bowl, spoon in burrito mixture, shredded lettuce and diced avocado. Add additional toppings, if desired.
    Makes approximately 6 servings. Store leftovers in covered container in fridge.
Keyword Burrito Bowl, quinoa, Vegan

 

Tips for Creating Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa

Pick up quinoa at your favorite grocery store or order HERE. I usually add a drizzle of olive oil to the quinoa pot, before reducing heat and simmering.

Add additional veggies to mixture, if desired. Summer squash, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower are good choices. Don’t like mushrooms? Leave them out.

To create a one pot meal, add a half cup of vegetable broth and the uncooked quinoa after adding black beans, diced tomatoes with juice, corn and seasoning. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir well and serve.

I use Frontier Co-op Mexican Fiesta Seasoning with chilis, tomato and cumin. You can use cumin or chili seasoning instead. If you’d like extra heat, add crushed red pepper flakes before serving or a diced jalapeno when stir frying veggies.

In my bowl, I included shredded lettuce and diced avocado. Use salsa, guacamole, sliced green onions, vegan cheese, shredded cabbage, black olives or toppings of choice. Add small tortilla chips if you aren’t limiting sodium.

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa mixture
Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa – veggie and quinoa mixture

Enjoying My Burrito Bowl

I love the blend of flavors in this burrito bowl. With plenty of leftovers, it’s a “cook once, eat twice”…or more…recipe that freezes well, making a quick heat and serve meal after a busy day.

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods right now. I never tire of trying new recipes with it as my base. (You might like this Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl as well.)

I’m excited to share that I’m about to begin a new health adventure as I participate in the Blue Zones 4 Week Challenge. Watch for upcoming posts about the challenge. Since whole grains play a vital role in the Blue Zones meals, I’ll be eating quinoa several times a week.

I hope you enjoy this vegan burrito bowl with quinoa. Let me know in the comments if you try the recipe. And please share your favorite quinoa recipes with me!

Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa ready to eat

 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

 

 

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

I love quinoa. This superfood, which is actually a seed rather than a grain, is one of the world’s most popular health foods. It’s versatile, easy to prepare and delicious.

Learn a bit about quinoa and then try this super easy recipe to create a quinoa and broccoli bowl.

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl title meme

Superfood Status

Although quinoa is a seed, it is grown as a grain crop. Cultivated in South America for thousands of years, the superfood only recently became a health food trend in the US.

Quinoa is gluten free, high in protein and one of the few plant based foods that provides all nine essential amino acids that the body needs.

Additionally, quinoa is high in fiber, magnesium, vitamins B and E, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antioxidants.

Quinoa’s antioxidants help calm inflammation throughout the body and provide anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-depressant properties.

Find out more about quinoa…and check out several other recipes…HERE.

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

I recently made incredibly yummy sweet potato and black bean tacos that contained quinoa. I still had a cup of dried quinoa left in the package that I wanted to use. So…ta da…I created a super easy bowl for dinner tonight.

Bowls…also called Buddha Bowls or grain bowls…and a fun and healthy way to get plenty of veggies. And they take minutes to prepare.

Here’s the recipe:

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

journeywithhealthyme
A super easy bowl for a quick meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder to taste

Instructions
 

Cooking the Quinoa

  • Add 1 cup of dried quinoa to medium sized sauce pan along with 2 cups of water. Stir in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow quinoa to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Makes two cups of cooked quinoa for recipe.

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

  • While quinoa cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large, non stick skillet. Add onions, celery, peppers and garlic. Stir fry over medium high heat until onions soften.
  • Add broccoli and cauliflower florets. Sprinkle with additional onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, if desired. Continue cooking and stirring until veggies are crisp tender.
  • Add cooked quinoa. Stir to combine and serve immediately in bowls. Makes 4 servings.
Keyword broccoli, Buddha bowl, quinoa

 

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl onion mix
Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl – onion mix
Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl stir fry
Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl – stir frying veggies

Tips for Creating Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

Bowls are such a versatile way to create a delicious and healthy meal. You can add any combination of veggies and grains…or in this case, seeds. Follow these tips for a tasty bowl.

Try cooking quinoa with vegetable broth instead of water, for a richer flavor. You can even make your own veggie broth from vegetable scraps. Add other herbs or spices such as cumin, turmeric, basil, thyme or Italian seasoning to the quinoa while it cooks. I seem to add garlic and onion powder to almost everything!

And change out the broccoli and cauliflower for any other veggie combo. Try cut up asparagus and halved Brussels sprouts, carrots, sliced mushrooms or kale.

To make this recipe super easy, used frozen chopped onions, celery and peppers and a bag of fresh already cut up broccoli and cauliflower. I keep these on hand for quick meals. And you can purchase minced garlic in a jar.

Don’t have quinoa on hand? Sub cooked brown rice instead.

And you can also include sliced avocado, cooked chickpeas, a green salad, sliced tomatoes or other raw veggies to your bowl as well. Bowls are a great way to use leftover veggies, a few carrots or the last of the beans.

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl skillet
Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl – ready to eat

Ready to Eat in About 30 Minutes

In half an hour, my quinoa and broccoli bowl was ready to eat.

It was delicious and filling. I love the combination of broccoli, cauliflower and quinoa however, I enjoy other veggie combos as well.

Store any leftovers in the fridge and you have another meal ready to warm up the next day.

Do you like quinoa? I’d love to know if you have a favorite quinoa recipe. Share it or a link in the comments below!

Quinoa and Broccoli Bowl

Order quinoa from Amazon by clicking on photo below:

 

 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Have you heard of quinoa? This superfood is one of the world’s most popular health foods.

First, let’s get the name right, for this seed that’s often referred to as a grain.

Quinoa is pronounced “KEEN-wah”. And there are many excellent reasons to include quinoa in your diet.

Need encouragement? Check out these quinoa health benefits and recipes.

Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes title meme

Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Quinoa is grown as a grain crop although technically, it’s a seed. The Inca considered quinoa an important crop, calling it the “mother of all grains”. In South America, quinoa has been eaten for thousands of years. Only recently has the superfood become a trend in the US.

Quinoa comes in three varieties: red, white and black.  It is gluten free, high in protein and one of the few plant based foods that provides all nine essential amino acids that the body needs.

Additionally, quinoa is high in fiber, magnesium, vitamins B and E, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antioxidants.

Quinoa’s antioxidants help calm inflammation throughout the body and provide anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-depressant properties.

NASA considers quinoa a suitable crop to grow in space, due to its high nutritional content, ease of growing and its simple preparation methods.

Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes uncooked
Quinoa health benefits and recipes – uncooked quinoa

Health Benefits of Quinoa

These important health benefits help give quinoa its superfood status:

  • gluten free means quinoa won’t cause symptoms that those with gluten sensitivities experience such as rashes and digestive disorders
  • provides all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own
  • excellent source of protein, especially beneficial for those on a plant based diet One cup of cooked quinoa provides 8.14 grams of protein.
  • low glycemic index, meaning it does not quickly raise blood sugar levels
  • improves metabolic health by reducing insulin and triglyceride levels
  • high fiber content reduces the risks for constipation, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diverticulosis
  • promotes a healthy weight. High fiber foods help people feel full longer
  • vitamin E content helps reduce the risk for heart disease, eye disorders and certain types of cancer
  • high iron content supports blood health, energy and cell function, connective tissue health and muscle metabolism
  • B vitamin folate promotes healthy pregnancies and reduces the risks of certain cancers and depression
Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes cooked
Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes – cooked quinoa

Adding Quinoa to the Diet

Quinoa is easy to prepare and simple to add to meals.

Prepare quinoa by combining two cups of water with one cup of uncooked quinoa in a sauce pan. Always use a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave quinoa covered for five more minutes. Remove cover and fluff quinoa with a fork.

Or prepare quinoa in recipes.

Check out what I made this week, all from one box of dried quinoa.

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

This simple to prepare recipe yielded yummy, meatless tacos. While the quinoa and black bean filling simmered, I chopped toppings for the tacos: tomatoes, mixed greens, red, yellow and orange peppers and avocado.

I’m on my second package of gluten free tortillas…and still have leftover quinoa and black bean filling in the fridge. The perfectly seasoned filling reminds me of meat, texture and flavor wise, and they are perfect for Taco Tuesday.

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

Try this meatless taco that's full of flavor
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika may use regular paprika
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 14 oz can black beans
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pkg gluten free taco sized tortillas may use regular taco sized tortillas
  • assorted toppings such as diced tomatoes, shredded greens, salsa and chopped avocado for tacos

Instructions
 

  • Saute onions and garlic in skillet with olive oil 3 - 4 minutes until soft and translucent
  • Add spices, tomato paste, quinoa and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add black beans. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes
  • Remove pan from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes
  • Remove cover, add lime juice and fluff mixture with a spoon or fork

Assemble Tacos

  • Heat tortillas in a lightly greased skillet or griddle, one at a time, until they puff and brown slightly. Move to plates and fold in two.
  • Spoon quinoa and black bean mixture into tortillas. Top with diced tomatoes, shredded greens, avocado and salsa. Makes at least 8 tacos.
Keyword black bean, meatless, quinoa, taco

 

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos
Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes – Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Using the quinoa in place of oatmeal, this morning I prepared a tasty breakfast treat. Plus I made enough quinoa to use for dinner tonight.

For a hearty quinoa breakfast bowl, with leftovers, combine one cup uncooked quinoa with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and leave the cover on for another five minutes. Use plant based milk, if desired, in place of water.

I combined a healthy portion of cooked quinoa with a cup of fresh blueberries, sliced banana and a tablespoon of chia seeds plus a splash of unsweetened almond milk. If desired, sweeten the breakfast quinoa with a spoonful of pure maple syrup. I left mine unsweetened and it was perfect for me.

A quinoa breakfast bowl is a great change up from oatmeal and packed with nutrients. Try different combos such as raisins and cinnamon, strawberries and bananas, chopped dates and walnuts, bananas and nut butter. The possibilities are endless.

Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes breakfast
Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes – breakfast bowl

Quinoa and Chickpea Bowl

With my leftover quinoa from this morning, I created a simple, delicious dinner bowl tonight.

I call these bowls my “clean out the fridge” meals. They are a wonderful way to use up leftover veggies and cooked quinoa or brown rice.

In a skillet, melt two tablespoons plant based butter or use olive oil. Add one chopped yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, minced, and any other veggies you want. I added diced red, yellow and orange peppers and sliced mushrooms. Stir fry veggies until barely tender.

Add cooked quinoa and combine well. I added a generous sprinkle of sea salt and garlic powder. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, allowing quinoa to heat through.

While quinoa mixture simmered, I warmed up organic chickpeas from a can and sliced an avocado.

My assembled bowl contained the quinoa/stir fry mixture, chickpeas, sliced avocado and a mixed green salad with slivers of carrots and red cabbage. It was the perfect evening meal, ready in about 15 minutes.

Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes bowl
Quinoa Health Benefits and Recipes – quinoa and chickpea bowl

I’m Sold on Quinoa

I love this superfood! And I’m looking forward to creating more meals with quinoa and discovering new recipes…or creating my own.

Do you love quinoa too? What’s your favorite way to enjoy this highly nutritious food?


 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.