Thai Quinoa Bowl

Posted on : April 21st, 2020

Okay, we’ve all been binging on carbs and Tiger King for awhile now. I don’t know about you but for me, it’s a beautiful day and it’s time to get off the couch! I need a little fresh air and sunshine—at a safe social distance—and something healthier to eat! And whenever I think of “healthier to eat” I always think of our friend at Blissful Basil who is devoted to healthy plant-based food. There I found today’s recipe for Thai Quinoa Bowl.

When we first started this pandemic adventure I couldn’t find rice at the store so I came home with quinoa. Quinoa is a food most of us did not grow up with. It’s more of a flowering plant than a grain—related to amaranth— that originated in Peru and Bolivia. We eat the seeds that cook up to act similarly to rice but are far more nutritious. A cup of quinoa provides twice the protein and about 5 grams more fiber than a cup of white rice with much fewer calories and carbohydrates. It’s also a good gluten-free source of B vitamins and minerals. Today’s recipe calls for “red quinoa” but you can use whatever type you find. (Or substitute rice or whatever grain or noodles you have on your shelf!)

The recipe also calls for tofu (for added protein) and a variety of colorful vegetables but there’s no need to run to the store to get the specific ingredients recommended! Just use whatever protein and vegetables you have available with the aim of choosing variety and color as much as possible. This acts as a salad so be sure to include lettuce and other salad-worthy ingredients in the mix.

What makes this recipe work for me is the sauce. Almond butter and tamari (or soy sauce) is one of my favorite combinations. This variation adds sesame oil, lime juice, maple syrup and fresh ginger. But, again, if you don’t have all those ingredients on hand, don’t fret. Lemon juice or even a little apple cider vinegar might substitute well enough for the lime; powdered ginger can stand in for fresh. There’s no real substitute I know of for sesame oil but if you have a little bit of tahini in your frig you might mix that with cooking oil and it will work. Or don’t worry about it. Almond butter and tamari is flavorful enough. The idea is to relax and eat something that looks attractive, tastes good, and won’t make you feel like a slug when you’re finished!

Thai Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
• 1 3/4 cups filtered water
• 1 small head broccoli, washed and cut into small florets
• 1 recipe spicy chili-garlic tofu (optional for added protein)
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 small head romaine or green leaf lettuce, washed, trimmed, and chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and then shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
• 1 small beet, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 small jicama root, peeled and cubed (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• Handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Handful roasted cashews or sunflower seeds

Nutty Ginger Dressing

• 1/4 cup Maisie Jane’s Smooth Almond Butter or Organic Smooth Almond Butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce or to taste
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger root

Head on over to Blissful Basil for full details on how to prepare!

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Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products, Inc. was founded on strong beliefs and passion for offering unique, flavorful, top-quality, nut products. We strongly believe in earth-friendly practices that start on our family owned and operated orchards. We use Organic farming practices and continue in the process by using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or GMOs. We believe in honest, friendly and helpful customer relations at all levels. We take pride in every task, every day, with every person.