Healthy Quinoa fried rice – easy dinner idea

Sue Maree P -

My recipe for quinoa fried rice is a delicious meatless meal that could be served as a main or side dish. Curious how to use any leftover quinoa then this recipe is a quick and easy dinner to cook. Quinoa is super versatile but needs a little spice and flavouring to make it taste good. This stir fry recipe is like fried rice. You can add whatever vegetables you have in the frig. My favourite is adding a hint of cinnamon to my carrots to make the sweetness pop.

Why add cinnamon? It's a spice often used in Middle Eastern cooking to give the dish warmth and a natural sweetness that works perfectly with carrots. I treat using cinnamon-like adding a pinch of salt. I add cinnamon to everything. Both sweet and savoury.   Quinoa fried rice or stir fry recipe is suitable for a quick and easy vegan recipe. and if you are looking for a healthy dinner or healthy side dish then this is delicious. We eat this once a week as it is a super simple one-pot meal to whip up when you don't know what to cook for dinner.  

Cinnamon contains large amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. Antioxidants can help protect the body from disease and are found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. The antioxidants in cinnamon have been found to have anti-inflammatory effects.  Serves 2 main or 4 side dish.

What is Quinoa?
Quinoa - is one of the world's most popular superfoods. Is it a grain? No, it isn’t a grain. It is a seed but prepared and eaten like rice. It once was an important crop for the ancient Inca empire in South America. It comes in three colours - white, black and red, however, I always cook with white. See my recipe below.

The benefits of Quinoa are:

  • Naturally gluten-free - perfect for gluten intolerance
  • High in protein - excellent protein source for vegans and vegetarians
  • Low glycemic index
  • Includes important minerals like iron and magnesium
  • High in fibre and antioxidants helpful if you are trying to improve your health

How to Cook? - Ready in 15-20 minutes - Serves 2

  1. Put 1.25 cups of water in a pot and turn on the heat.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of raw quinoa (rinsed) with a dash of salt.
  3. Bring to boil f0r 2 minutes then simmer for 13 minutes.
  4. Once cooked, let stand with the lid on for another 10-15 minutes.
  5. Then fluff up with a fork and it is ready to eat.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup of carrots - peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/2 large courgette - sliced and halved
  • 1 tablespoon small capers
  • Sprinkling of salt and pepper
  • 30g packet (or a small bunch) flat leafed parsley chopped
  • A tiny splash of chipotle sauce
  • A tiny splash of tabasco sauce
  • A tiny splash of olive oil
  • sprinkle with sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds

Method

  1. Stir fry carrots in a fry pan, thinly sliced 1/2 circles until soft for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
  2. Add the sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Once the carrots are soft, add the courgette and cook for a few minutes.
  4. Add the cooked quinoa, salt and  pepper, capers, oil, parsley and chipotle sauce.
  5. This portion is a medium serving for two as a main and 3-4 as a side with meat or fish if needed.