I seem to be on a quinoa kick lately and when I saw this recipe on TeamBeachbody.com I thought it looked pretty good!
I should have known by looking at the ingredients, but this recipe makes A TON of stuffing (16 servings). This isn’t so bad if you’re making it for Thanksgiving dinner. But if you’re just making it as a side dish for a meal or even just using it as meal prep for the week you’ll probably want to cut the ingredients in half.
I like this recipe because the quinoa doesn’t have to be cooked first…you can just throw the dry stuff in there with the veggie broth and it all takes care of itself! Yay! #timesaver
Here’s the ingredients you’ll need for the full recipe:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 medium celery stalks, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 medium green apples, with peel (about 2 cups)
4 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ cup dried cranberries (reduced or no added sugar)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
½ cup pine nuts
Pine nuts are kinda expensive, so you could probably substitute raw pecans or sliced almonds if you want…just make sure to toast them first. The original recipe also calls for cilantro (not a fan) so I subbed for parsley which I like much better.
Preparation:
1.Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add celery and apple; cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
4. Add broth, quinoa, salt, cumin, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
5. Add cranberries. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
6. Add cilantro and pine nuts; fluff with fork and serve.
To make life a little easier for yourself I recommend chopping everything up first before you start heating the oil: onion, garlic, apples, celery, and parsley. That way you can just throw everything in as you go along. I was also kinda worried because the quinoa still seemed a bit watery after 15 minutes, but after letting it stand covered and off the heat for 5 more minutes it was fine.
My husband also gave this “stuffing” his seal of approval which is always a plus! I don’t think he’ll ever give up his beloved Stove Top, but it’s progress!
21-Day Fix portions = 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, 1/2 orange
1 serving = 2/3 cup, 156 calories
For full nutritional info please see original recipe.