Autumn Cranberry Quinoa Recipe

Autumn Cranberry Quinoa Recipe

Give me quinoa with a bunch of healthy and tasty stuff in it and I’ll be a happy gal any day.

This kind of recipe is perfect for when you’re tired after a long day and just want something EASY for dinner, when you’re feeling creative and want to pretend like a you’re a culinary artist, or if you need a big one-bowl dish for a potluck. Yeah, this one has it all.

Easy. Creative. Damn good.

Oh and it’s healthy too, with lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and some good fats.

Keep in mind that all of the add-in’s are totally replaceable! The cranberries and pistachios are kind of the star players here, but the rest can be omitted or replaced with other things you like or you can add more/less of whatever you prefer. That’s the beauty of this dish – make your own rules.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1.5 cups of rainbow quinoa
• 3 cups of veggie stock or water with a little sea salt
• 1.5 cups of broccoli
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. butter, ghee, or oil of your choice
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/8 cup of fresh scallions, chopped
• 1/8-1/4 cup of cranberries (check the bulk aisle if your store has one first, these are sometimes a little juicier than the packaged variety, otherwise whichever you find should be good)
• 1/8-1/4 cup of salted pistachios, shelled
• 1/8 cup of hemp seeds (optional)
• Sea salt to taste

And here’s how to rock n’ roll:

1. Add your veggie stock or lightly salted water to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, add the quinoa, stir, and cover.
3. Put your butter in a pan, add the garlic, then add the broccoli. Sauté on medium until the broccoli has softened but is still a vibrant green, about 5 minutes.
4. Chop up the herbs, shell the pistachios, sing a little ditty.
5. When the quinoa is almost done, with a little water still visible at the bottom, remove from heat, mix it up, and cover completely for a few minutes. This is the key to “fluffiness”.
6. When the quinoa is done, transfer it to a large bowl, allow to cool a little so it gets warm but not hot, then add the broccoli/garlic, herbs, cranberries, pistachios, hemp seeds, and sea salt to taste. DONE!

Serve it up as the main dish if you have a smallish group, or as a side dish at your potluck, then bask in the glory of all the compliments you’ll get