I always enjoyed the quinoa and rice sushi I would find at Whole Foods sometimes. The combination give a nutty flavor. So, I figured doing a quinoa and rice bowl should give the same tastes. I was surprised to find that it was even better than my sushi meal. My teens even enjoyed them. Here is one of the recipes I enjoyed most.
I used premade quinoa rice packages. They worked great for weeknight leftover meals. This is the brand I used. I found it in the organic section of my local grocery store. This particular one had garlic added as well, but you can find ones with no flavor.
Also, I didn't use dairy in my bowl. However, feta crumbles cheese works nicely with the bowl.
I found that having different options (veggies) already cooked for the top of the bowl worked great. It's perfect for the days you have a lot of leftovers. We served the meal so everyone could pick what they wanted. Start with the items in the order you think they should go into the bowl. I found that the dressing tasted better to the top of all the veggies. It gave the veggies a little bit of flavoring which brought the dish together. Having a savory (Italian) and sweet dressing (honey dijon mustard) works nicely as options in our home.
Note: you may not have seen lettuce (romaine) on any salad bowls, but I figured I always have it cleaned and ready to go so why not? If they don't want it in the bowl, they can have it later. Remember: if you don't pull out the lettuce, the kids won't go and hunt for it.
Now, enough of my talking. Here's the yummy recipe.
Quinoa Rice Bowl with Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients:
Cooked ½ quinoa ½ rice for a family of 4-6 or reheated quinoa/rice bags (3 pre-cooked bags)
1 cup of cooked beets (sliced in half) or pickled beets already sliced
⅔ cup Snap peas
⅔ cup Snow peas
A large carrot cut into quarters and steamed
1 cup cut string beans (defrosted then quickly cooked)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
2 cups romaine lettuce (cut into small strips)
½ cup walnuts (chopped)
¼ cup of pumpkin seeds (optional)
½ cup Feta cheese (optional)
2 tablespoon of your favorite salad dressing
Instructions:
Make sure the following ingredients are steamed or slight cooked: Beets, snap peas, snow peas, carrot, string beans.
Add each ingredient into their own bowl. Lay it out the way that works for you.
Assemble as each person wants. Start with the rice, then add on top the different veggies.
Then add the nuts or seeds then add the crumbled cheese (optional).
Drizzle the dressing over all the veggies.
Enjoy!
If you want the printable recipe, here it is below.
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Ingredients
- Cooked ½ quinoa ½ rice for a family of 4-6 or reheated quinoa/rice bags (3 pre-cooked bags)
- 1 cup of cooked beets (sliced in half) or pickled beets already sliced
- ⅔ cup Snap peas
- ⅔ cup Snow peas
- 1 large carrot cut into quarters and steamed
- 1 cup cut string beans (defrosted then quickly cooked)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce (cut into small strips)
- ½ cup walnuts (chopped)
- ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds (optional)
- ½ cup Feta cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoon of your favorite salad dressing
Instructions
- Make sure the following ingredients are steamed or slight cooked: Beets, snap peas, snow peas, carrot, string beans.
- Add each ingredient into their own bowl. Lay it out the way that works for you.
- Assemble as each person wants. Start with the rice, then add on top the different veggies. Then add the nuts or seeds then add the crumbled cheese (optional).
- Drizzle the dressing over all the veggies.
- Enjoy!
Susan Cooper
Very nice. I could eat one of those right now. Quinoa is such a versatile grain that offers a great array of opportunities in many recipes and side dishes.