Moroccan Inspired Quinoa

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Ready in 50 min

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Apple butter, Musselman's (substitute with honey or other sweetner)

  • 8 medium Black olives (chopped)

  • 1 small Carrots (grated)

  • 1 small stalk(s) Celery (#nely chopped)

  • 1/2 tsp Coriander seed (cilantro) (grounded)

  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (grounded)

  • 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 medium pepper(s) Orange bell pepper (chopped)

  • 1/4 tsp Paprika, sweet

  • 1 bunch Parsley, fresh (chopped)

  • 1 lemon wedge Preserved lemon (chopped)

  • 1 cup Quinoa, uncooked

  • 1/2 tsp Ras el hanout (optional)

  • 1 medium Red onion (chopped)

  • 2 tbsp Sun-dried tomatoes (cut into julienne strips)

  • 1 tsp Tamari, gluten free, reduced sodium

  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric, powder

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a small amount of water.

  2. Rinse the quinoa with water to remove its bitterness. You can skip this step if the quinoa has been pre-washed (check the package label). In a sauce pan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil and add the quinoa. Partially cover the sauce pan with a lid. A slight vent should allow some steam to escape. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and maintain a strong simmer.

  3. Cook until all of the water is gone (This will take about 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and remove the lid.

  4. While the quinoa is cooking, prep the veggies and other ingredients. Take a quartered piece of a preserved lemon and give it a quick rinse before chopping it into small pieces if you want to remove some of the salt.

  5. Heat the fry pan to medium-high. Sauté the onion and half the amount of the spices with olive oil for 5 minutes to release their !avours. Reduce the heat to medium. Then add and cook the celery, carrot and bell pepper for about 2 minutes.

  6. Add the rest of the solid ingredients and spices. Don't throw away the water that you used to soak those sun-dried tomatoes. You can some of this water to moisten the quinoa if it becomes too dry during the cooking process. Mix a small amount of this water with tamari and apple butter, and add this mixture to the quinoa. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.

  7. Transfer onto a plate and garnish with some chopped parsley.

Enjoy this delicious and aromatic dish on its own, as a side dish or topped on a salad. Bon appetit!

Dinner, Side Dish, Vegan, VegetarianLisa Kilgour, Nutritionistgluten free, Dairy freeComment