Herbed Quinoa

It's the simple things in life.

1. Getting a new pair of jeans. (Thank you, Jessica Simpson! Seriously, these jeans are as soft as pajama bottoms and as stretchy as yoga pants. And I got them on sale for $10!)

2. Finding delicious plant-based milk. Silk Nutchello, you little devil you. I absolutely cannot live without nut milk, so finding different varieties is a beautiful surprise. I bought the toasted coconut and cashew and the dark chocolate and walnut. Talk about YUM. What I love most is that it's delicious with my Orgain protein powder or all on its own. Nom nom nom.

3. Growing out your nails. Man. It has been a SO HARD to not cut these bad boys. I usually trim my nails every few days, but I haven't cut them now for over a week and I'll tell ya, the STRUGGLE IS REAL.

4. And of course, one of the simplest things in life...eating a clean, simple dish. This Herbed Quinoa dish is just that. So easy, so straightforward, that a monkey could make it. (Well maybe not that simple. Ha.)

The hubby and I are all about quick meals during the week. Between work, travel, church callings, and sports, we are hardly ever home enough to cook a decent meal. So cooking up a big batch of this stuff--in a rice cooker to save on time--is essential. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE rice. Once I converted my husband to short-grain brown rice, he never looked back. But switching up the grain every once in a while is fun. Quinoa is my new obsession. I think I tried to order it for every meal when we were in Arizona last week. Haha. :) --- Oh, oh oh! And PLEASE, if you are ever in Glendale, Arizona--eat at the Rogue Tomato! (And order the quinoa dish, of course.) It literally opened the day before we ate there. It was super delicious. Click here for their Facebook page.

If you are feeling super awesome, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese. While I am not a big fan of cheese (stupid lactose/whey sensitivity), my body can digest parmesan okay. (Nobody likes gas, nobody.)

Herbed Quinoa

gluten-free, vegan option

serves: 4-6
time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked quinoa

4 cups liquid (chicken broth, vegetable broth, or salted water)

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups frozen peas, thawed in microwave and drained

+ 1/4 cup grated or powdered parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve, if you are weird like that. :)
2. Pour the quinoa and broth into the rice cooker.
3. Stir in the onion, garlic, herbs, and pepper.
4. Turn on your rice cooker and set it to "cook".
5. Walk away. (Thank you, modern technology!)
6. It should be finished in 15-20 minutes.
7. Fluff the quinoa with a spoon and stir in the peas.
8. Sprinkle with parmesan. 
9. Thank me later.  ;-)

If you're curious, here is how it should look when preparing it in the rice cooker.

Basically, throw everything in the rice cooker bowl and get ready for a big bowl of...

...fluffy goodness!!

While my husband loves all animal protein...chicken, hamburger, pork, etc. I gag at the sight of it. While you could honestly eat this delicious dish all on its own, I would recommend some sort of protein-element added in. As for me, I am completely fine with drinking my favorite protein with my meal. :-)

Have a beautiful day!
<3  Sarah Lou