%20(1).png)
Delicious and Nutritious Quinoa Bowls
I love to make quick and easy recipes that are delicious and nutritious. I also enjoy making things that can be easily customizable for the people I'm cooking for based on their particular preferences.
These quinoa bowls are perfect for lunch or dinner and can be easily meal prepped or shared.
My brother comes over for dinner every few weeks and this week he suggested our meal contain quinoa. I immediately thought of making quinoa bowls. The great thing about a dish like this is that you can go in many directions. You can make quinoa bowls with Mexican, Greek, Italian, and other cultural influences. However, rather than decide on the exact ingredient list ahead of time, instead, I went to the grocery store and allowed the freshest, most appealing produce to guide me. I first picked out gorgeous rainbow cherry tomatoes and then found zucchini, green onion, and avocado. I then elected for ground turkey and a locally made basil pesto.
Benefits from ingredients I chose:
Quinoa: Packed with nutrients, contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds, high fiber content, gluten-free whole grain (not refined), a complete protein source providing 8 grams per cooked cup compared to 4 grams in rice
Ground turkey: Rich in protein, a good source of minerals and B vitamins, low GI food
Zucchini: Rich in antioxidants and nutrients, contributes to healthy digestion
Rainbow cherry tomatoes: Full of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C and provide great flavor
Spinach: Nutrient-rich, high in antioxidants, easily integrated into meals
Green onion: Adds a great crunch and flavor, high in nutrients and antioxidants
Avocado: Nutrient-rich and keep you satisfied longer, a great source of potassium, monounsaturated fats, fiber, and folate
Basil pesto: Delicious, adds great flavors, and contains ingredients including basil, garlic, Parmigiano cheese, and pine nuts
Delicious and Nutritious Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4
For the quinoa:
2 cups white quinoa
4 cups water
For the contents of the bowls
1 package of white quinoa
1 lb of ground turkey
2 zucchini
1/2 container of cherry tomatoes
1/2 bag of spinach
4 stalks of green onion
1 avocado
Basil pesto
Seasoning:
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
For assembling bowls:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup veggies of choice
I chose zucchini, tomato, spinach
1/2 cup protein of choice
I elected for ground turkey
1/4 - 1/2 cup healthy fat
I elected for avocado
Dressing/sauce of choice
I used basil pesto
Directions
Cook the quinoa
Add the quinoa and water to a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and allow the quinoa to cook for 15 minutes. You know the quinoa is done cooking because it will look like it has popped open.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Prep the veggies
Prep veggies by cutting 1-inch strands of zucchini, slicing the tomatoes in half, chopping the green onion, and slicing the avocado.
Sauté the veggies
Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the zucchini and sauté until almost fully cooked and beginning to brown.
Add spinach and tomato until desired texture and level of cooking.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the ground turkey
Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the ground turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tbsp of onion powder, and a handful of green onion.
Let it cook for 10 to 15, stirring occasionally until the meat is no longer pink or the temperature reaches 165 F.
To assemble your quinoa bowls
Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
Add 1/2 cup of ground turkey.
Add 1 cup of your veggies.
Add a few slices of avocado.
Drizzle with pesto.
Enjoy!
Leave your comments below and share your experience preparing this recipe or other quinoa bowls!