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

1. Cook the quinoa

   1. 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.

   2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

2. Prep the veggies

   1. Prep veggies by cutting 1-inch strands of zucchini, slicing the tomatoes in half, chopping the green onion, and slicing the avocado.

3. Sauté the veggies

   1. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

   2. Add the zucchini and sauté until almost fully cooked and beginning to brown.

   3. Add spinach and tomato until desired texture and level of cooking.

   4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook the ground turkey

   1. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

   2. 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.

   3. Let it cook for 10 to 15, stirring occasionally until the meat is no longer pink or the temperature reaches 165 F.

5. To assemble your quinoa bowls

   1. Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa.

   2. Add 1/2 cup of ground turkey.

   3. Add 1 cup of your veggies.

   4. Add a few slices of avocado.

   5. Drizzle with pesto.

6. Enjoy!

Leave your comments below and share your experience preparing this recipe or other quinoa bowls!