Christie's Non-Recipe Weeknight Quinoa Bowl
Spending a lot of time in the kitchen is a back-burner priority for many moms (or anyone!) who just need to get a meal on the table. This healthy and completely customizable recipe will be ready for hungry bellies in about 20 minutes.
Quinoa - we always buy ours from Costco!)
Meat - can be anything - leftover chicken, ground turkey, meatballs, whatever you've got!)
Veggie - Frozen or fresh, whatever you have on hand. broccoli, jarred artichoke hearts (Costco fave) and zucchini are a favorite. Also the frozen peppers and onions from trader joes.
Sauce - Cream of chicken soup, butternut squash/roasted bell pepper soup (Trader Joe's) or even spaghetti sauce. Heck, I've even put in salad dressing for some extra flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Quinoa
- 4 cups Water or vegetable/chicken stock
- Roughly 1 lb or more Meat of choice (whatever you've got on hand: leftover chicken, ground turkey, meatballs, etc.!)
- About 2 cups (cut, cubed, diced, or however you like) Vegetable of choice (again, what you've got in your fridge or freezer: broccoli, artichoke hearts, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.)
- To taste Sauce of choice (butternut squash or roasted red pepper soup, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce...get creative!)
- To taste Parmesan (or other) cheese
Instructions
In a large pot, bring quinoa and water (or stock) to a boil; prepare according to package directions. Christie says: Remember, it's a 1:3 ratio of quinoa to water--some instructions say to strain it beforehand, but I never have.
In a separate pan, prepare your meat accordingly (if it's a leftover, it just needs to be reheated; if it's frozen or raw, cook until it's thoroughly done).
Prepare vegetables as desired (cook or keep 'em raw!)
Once quinoa is ready, assemble your bowl: Take a scoop of quinoa, add the meat, veggies, and top with a sauce of your choice.
Top with parmesan cheese or any other cheese of your choice. Christie also likes to add Cholula hot sauce for an extra kick!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6-8 servings