Meal planning is tough. Browsing restaurant menus online (as one does obsessively) can be a great way to inspire and enliven your own home recipes. One such example is this braised quinoa with green bell peppers and two poached eggs, lifted from Back Forty’s brunch menu.
In just the past two weeks, I’ve had three variations already, including one with tomatoes and another with oyster mushrooms. Conclusion: quinoa dishes make for hearty lunches while still falling into the nutritious fare category.
Here’s the version from last Friday.
Braised Quinoa with Oyster Mushrooms
Recipe adapted from NVR2HEALTHY
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 small red onions, minced
- Salt, pepper, chili flakes and Italian seasoning for taste
Add 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil and let the quinoa and water simmer to low heat while partially covered until all water is absorbed (15 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Take a fork and fluff quinoa. Let it rest.
In a pan, add olive oil and red onions, and cook until the onions are see through and browned. Add mushrooms and cook until they darken.
Combine the cooked quinoa and seasoning into the pan and mix well. When grain is thoroughly heated through, add the vegetable broth.
Cover the pan and cook for an additional 5 to 10 mins.
Serve warm.
