This Gardeners Quinoa bowl is such a flavorful way to change up your breakfast routine and it’s a perfect way to get more veggies into your diet! Today, I’m going to give you the scoop on Quinoa and how to make this delicious dish with just a few simple ingredients!
Quinoa is a fun little grain with a unique texture. If you haven’t yet jumped on the Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) wagon yet, let me tell you a few amazing reasons why Quinoa earns it’s keep in my pantry and why you should at least give this interesting seed a try!
HEALTH BENEFITS
First up, Quinoa contains more protein per serving than other grain with 4 grams per half a cup! It’s a complete protein too, meaning it has all the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle growth and repair! It’s naturally gluten free so you don’t have to worry about any tummy troubles and since it contains fiber it will keep you full until your next meal!
Quinoa is also a great source of vitamins, minerals and folate making it a healthy food choice and all great reasons for keeping it stocked in the pantry!
MAKE THIS DISH
This Quinoa Bowl is such an effortless meal to make ahead! All you need to make this bowl and have it prepped ahead for the whole week is just a few simple ingredients!
SUPPLIES
Quinoa
Egg, Cooked over easy or medium
Spinach, fresh, chopped
Tomatoes, fresh from the garden are the best but any will work
Himalayan Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley, chopped
*Avocado
SHOPPING TIPS
You can pick up Quinoa from any grocery store nowadays. It should be in your local store too. You’ll find it in the “grains” section of the store near Rice. It is also in the bulk food or health food sections and typically in the organic foods area as well. I buy my Quinoa in bulk from Sams Club, a Kirkland brand. I think it tastes great and has a nice texture to it! It’s plain without anything added so you can add seasonings and/or oils as you’d prefer!
As for avocados, you want to pick a brown yet firm one! The darker the brown the more ripe it may be. Also feel it so that it isn’t soft to the touch. The really soft avocados won’t last as long, it’s fine to grab if you’re going to use it up right away or freeze it! (Yes you can totally freeze avocados! I’ll share that method soon!)
For spinach I like to buy prewashed, ready to eat spinach that way I don’t have to mess around with washing and drying it. Not like it takes that long but hey whenever you can cut a corner in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor or nutrients, I say go for it!
STEP BY STEP
First, cook the Quinoa as directed by the package. It typically has a 2:1 ratio of water to Quinoa. For four dishes I used 1 Cup of quinoa and 2 Cups of water. Bring the quinoa to a boil then turn off the burner and move your pan to the smallest burner on your stovetop, trust me! This will get your quinoa nice and fluffy without burning it or turning it into mush. If you’re one to forget about things (guilty) then be sure to set a timer and check on it in about 10-12 minutes. Make sure it’s simmering nicely and the water is evaporating at a slow and steady pace.
Once the Quinoa is cooked, give it a stir to make sure there is no standing water in the bottom and then fluff it up like you would rice.
Add about 2TBL of freshly chopped parsley to the pot and any additional seasonings you’d like to use to add flavor. For this dish a zest of lemon, sea salt and pepper are great pairings!
Meanwhile, as the Quinoa is on a simmer, cook the eggs. First, spray the non-stick cooking pan lightly with olive oil cooking spray and then crack about 4 eggs into the pan. This will depend on your pan size of course. My pan fits 4-6 eggs comfortably.
To cook your eggs over-medium, slightly poke the top off the egg yolk after it sets up a bit. Once the egg white is able to be flipped, give it a turn and cook the other side until the egg yolk is cooked through. Once cooked, turn it back over and season with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
Now, as the eggs and quinoa are cooling, rough chop the spinach and then dice the tomato.
Divide evenly and portion out all ingredients into meal prep containers. Top with additional items as you wish, like cheese and salsa.
HOW TO STORE
Be sure to cool the meal down completely before placing the lid on tight.
Once cooled, cover the containers and store in the fridge for up to 6 days. If not portioning out you can store each item in separate dishes and make up a bowl each day.
These Meal prep containers by Bayco are my absolute fav and are really helpful if you plan to get into meal prepping more frequently!
REHEATING METHODS
Microwave: To reheat this dish, simply remove the lid then place in the microwave for about 2minutes. Give it a stir and enjoy!
Stove Top: Empty contents into a small stock pot and warm the entire dish for about 3 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning or over cooking. Add a little bit of water or a tsp of olive oil as well so that it doesn’t stick or burn to the bottom.
VARIATIONS
>Add more veggies, you can add any vegetables you like. I just kept this dish simple using ingredients most have available. You can add bell peppers, onion and mushrooms to make a more flavorful combo.
>Add Cheese. Add any cheese you like but a white cheese would pair really well.
>Add Salsa. Feel free to spice this up with your favorite salsa! If you’re a gardener add your fresh garden salsa to the quinoa, give it a stir then top with remaining ingredients!
Ingredients
Quinoa, 2 Cups Spinach 4 -8 Cups Eggs, 4-8 Tomatoes, 1 medium Parsley, 2 TBL fresh chopped Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa to Package Instructions. Add in chopped parsley, stir, set aside.
- Meanwhile spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. Then crack eggs in the pan. You may have to do several batches depending on pan size.
- Poke the yoke and cook until the egg white sets up and is able to flip. Flip Egg and cook on the other side. Egg should be 165* F and no longer runny. Set aside
- Chop spinach 1 Cup per bowl or more as desired.
- Dice tomatoes.
- Place quinoa in a bowl, add two eggs, spinach and tomatoes. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Top with Fresh avocado slices the day of, just before serving! Sprinkle with lemon zest for added flavor!