Quinoa is a staple in my household. I use it to make sweet and savory dishes, dishes like Quinoa & Strawberry Apple Breakfast and Quinoa With Chicken & Mixed Vegetables, as well as snacks like crackers. I use quinoa flour in baking to make muffins and cakes. Quinoa, once you’re used to its nutty flavor and subtle aftertaste Quinoa has a neutral flavor that takes on whatever it’s flavored with.  Quinoa is gluten-free, so it’s great for gluten-free diets, and it has pretty good nutrition, having a good amount of fiber, it has magnesium, and iron, and it’s low on the glycemic index. I prefer it to brown rice for these meals; it has a bit more nutrition, and I like quinoa's consistency better.

The quinoa and mushroom kale bowl came about because I was wondering what I could make with the veggies I had on hand, and I wanted to make a bowl that would be the base for anyone to make into what they want with various seasonings and sauces. On the whole (meaning for the most part), I am a minimalist when it comes to different sauces on my food. I don’t generally put sauces on my food. I do, however, like the creativity of mixing and matching ingredients, so when I meal plan, I like to make a batch of something, say in this case quinoa, and then have different foods to mix and match throughout the week, say a protein, or a meat, vegetables, or toppings.

To start, I cook the quinoa with a ratio of 1 to 2. 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. The Quinoa is going to absorb all the water, so it needs to have double the water to the quinoa. Add the quinoa to the pot with the water and place on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it boils. Once it boils, you’ll turn it down to low and place the lid on. Sometimes the quinoa can come out unevenly cooked if you cook it the full 20 minutes without stirring. If that happens, it’s perfectly fine; it will work out during reheating for future meals. To prevent this, you can check it halfway through and add a bit more water through the process if needed, and give it a stir.

Once it’s done, you can set it aside and work on the veggies. In a small skillet, add your mushrooms. I like to use frozen mushrooms; it’s easy, you can throw them right in the pan. Next, rinse and chop the peppers, then add them to the pan. Add in the kale last. Again, I like to use frozen kale, but feel free to use fresh kale if you’d like.  Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan and place a lid on. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat. Add additional water if needed. Once the veggies are cooked through, you’ll drain any excess water if needed. Add quinoa to a bowl. Add in any preferred seasonings. Add the mushrooms, kale, and peppers on top. Add your favorite sauces​

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Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1/2 cup kale 

1 yellow sweet mini pepper 

1 red sweet mini pepper 

1/4 cup mushrooms 

1/2 tsp salt 

Directions 

In a small pan, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa. Cook on medium-high heat until the water boils, about 5 minutes. Stir once, turn down the heat to low, and place the lid on. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15–20 minutes. Check on it once or twice during that time to stir to make sure it is cooking evenly. Fluff with a fork or spoon.

Take 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa and season with salt. Add to a bowl.

In a skillet, add the yellow and red peppers, kale, and mushrooms, and cook until softened, covered. About 5-7 minutes, or until heated through. Add veggies to the quinoa. Add your favorite seasonings and sauces

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