Quinoa Bowl with Green Beans, Almonds, and Cherries
Coming up with food to pack for work lunches is always a struggle for me. Sandwiches made the night before never taste good – soggy bread, limp vegetables – it’s never pretty. I end up with 12 little baggies of individual ingredients so I can construct my sandwich at work which is just more of a hassle than not. And my co-workers look at me like I’m an extreme OCD, nut job.
Building a bowl of grains and vegetables becomes my go-to for several days of the week. Pick a grain, pick some veggies and/or a meat, add some nuts for flavor and mix with a vinaigrette of 1:1:1 (oil, sweetener, vinegar). You can swap out the green beans for broccoli, brussel sprouts, or asparagus. Or stick ‘em all in there. I usually use what I have on hand. Once you get creative there are a lot of options to change it up.
Quinoa has a distinct nutty taste that I think tastes good with the subtle sweetness of the cherries and maple syrup in this recipe. It is also a good way to fake out my sweet tooth that I don’t need an afternoon sweet snack.
I make the ingredients the night before while I’m making dinner so I only have to be at the stove once for the evening. Go ahead and stir in the vinaigrette even if you aren’t eating it until the next day. It actually tastes better when the flavors have had a chance to combine.
Quinoa Bowl with Green Beans, Almonds, and Cherries Recipe
Serves 1; easily double for 2.
Ingredients
Maple Vinaigrette
- 3 tsp olive oil (separated – 1 tsp and 2 tsp)
- 2 tsp maple syrup (substitute agave)
- 2 tsp white vinegar
Quinoa
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 3/4 cup water*
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup green beans (I prefer haricots verts, a small version, but any variety will work.)
- 1/4 cup almonds, unroasted and unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped (substitute dried cranberries)
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Prepare the ingredients
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of maple syrup, and 2 tsp of white vinegar. Whisk together and set aside.
- Remove ends from the green beans and cut them in half or quarters (you want bite size pieces) for about 1/3 cup.
- Chop the almonds into 1/4 cup.
- Chop the cherries into 1/4 cup.
- Peel and mince the 1 clove of garlic.
- Remove the parlsey leaves from the stems and chop into 1 tsp.
Make the Quinoa
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add a 1/2 cup of quinoa. Let the quinoa toast in the pan for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- To the quinoa, add 3/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce to low. Cooking times may varying depending on the amount of liquid you use.* You want the water to fully absorb which usually takes about 12-15 minutes. Peek inside (quickly so you don’t release too much heat) around 12 minutes to see if it is done or needs more time. Taste the quinoa and if the texture is right, but there is excess liquid, keep the pan on low heat uncovered to cook off remaining water.
- Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add the almonds and toast for 3-4 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. Remove them from skillet.
- Add the garlic and green beans to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until the beans are cooked through, but still slightly firm.
- Add the green beans, toasted almonds, and cherries to the cooked quinoa. Stir in the vinaigrette and top with 1 tsp chopped parsley.
*You’ll see varying opinions on the ratio of quinoa to water. Some recipes call for 2:1 while some call for 1:1. I find that a 2:1 ratio leaves the quinoa soggy and mushy while a 1:1 ratio leaves the quinoa a little under done. In this recipe I recommend a 1/2 cup of quinoa and 3/4 cup of water. Adjust the amount of water to your liking.
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