It is hard to believe it is Fall right now…I turned on the AC this week…yes the AC, it was that hot. It is also raining a bunch. Totally not Fall /October weather. So while I wait for it to really feel like Fall around here I need a more summery recipe. (Or maybe unlike me you are feeling Fall and in the midst of all the apple and pumpkin goodness you just need a quick little break). If that is the case, you need this quinoa recipe in your life. Perfect for using up any tomatoes that you may still have in your garden or from your trip to the grocery store.
This recipe is healthy and satisfying…perfect for a weeknight meal by itself or to accompany a more elaborate weekend dinner. A new favorite recipe for my quinoa repertoire.
- *1 cup of grape tomatoes
- *1 cup of chopped white onion (I use pre-chopped to save time)
- * 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped zucchini and squash ( I buy one of each and use about 2/3 of each one)
- *1 1/2 tsp garlic (Again, I use pre-chopped to save some time)
- *2 TBS of olive oil
- *5 oz of fresh spinach
- *12 oz of quinoa (I believe this is the standard size box so you can just throw the whole thing in)
- *32 oz of chicken broth (I just get the 32 oz box so again I can just dump it in the pot 🙂 )
- *garlic salt to taste
- *crumbled goat cheese ( I buy a small plain log of goat cheese and crumble over the quinoa dish)
- 1. Cook quinoa according to the box's instructions, however instead of water use chicken broth (you may need to cook the quinoa for a couple extra minutes until all the broth is absorbed). Then set cooked quinoa aside.
- 2. Saute garlic and chopped onions in a large skillet with 1 tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until onions begin to caramelize.
- 3. Then add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet along with the zucchini and squash. Cook for approximately 2 to 4 minutes, until the zucchini and squash turn slightly brown.
- 4. Reduce heat to low and add spinach and chopped tomatoes to the skillet. Then cover with lid. Let the tomatoes and spinach cook for a minute or so, until the spinach begins to wilt. Then throw in the cooked quinoa and for a minute or so, so the quinoa can warm up and the spinach and tomatoes cook a little bit more.
- 5. Season with garlic salt and top with goat cheese.