Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Vegetables, Sweet Potato Chunks and A Coconut Yellow Curry, Topped with Crunchy Peanuts

It’s incredible how popular bowls have become of every variety or type or international theme. It is just so easy to have everything tossed all together in one bowl. I love to sometimes just display all the toppings and let everyone serve themselves and then allow them to pour their own sauce on top to their liking. Quinoa has become very popular. The Peruvian grain is full of protein and is gluten free for those with gluten insensitivity. Quinoa has become very popular with not only the allergic, sensitive crowd, but the Vegan and Vegetarian crowds as well. Add some sautéed shrimp or chicken if you want to add more protein. Just double the sauce recipe and toss the chicken or shrimp into the sauce before using it on top of the quinoa. This sauce is the easiest recipe. Only 5 shelf stable ingredients from your pantry, no grating, no running to multiple stores, no going out to buy fresh. Just ingredients you can always keep on hand for a last minute crazy good curry. Just a can of coconut milk, yellow curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric and ginger powder all stirred together, instant curry sauce. I do usually double the recipe as it keeps in the refrigerator for days and is a good topping for almost anything.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes for roasting vegetables

(15 minutes to cook the quinoa and 1 hour to roast the sweet potato (unless you microwave it for 10 minutes)

All these times can overlap and be done at the same time

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Yellow curry sauce

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 Tbs yellow curry powder

1 tsp tumeric powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ tsp ginger powder

Roasted Vegetables:

1 large sweet potato, roasted, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 head broccoli, separated into florets

1 red pepper sliced into long pieces, seeds and membranes removed

1 cup frozen peas thawed, or fresh peas

2 Tbs coconut oil

4 large carrots, sliced

¾ tsp salt

Cooked Quinoa:

1 ½ cup red or mixed quinoa

3 cups water

¾ tsp salt

Sautéed cabbage:

½ head shredded red cabbage

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp coconut oil

¼ tsp salt

Topping:

Chopped Roasted Peanuts

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prick your sweet potato a few times with a fork. Roast the sweet potato 1 hour or cook it in the microwave for 10 minutes on high. The sweet potato is done when you can pierce it with a fork and it is tender. Remove, peel, cut into 4 portions and set aside.

Cook your quinoa. Bring 3 cups water to a boil, add 1½ cup quinoa and ¾ tsp salt. Lower heat to simmer, simmer about 10 minutes covered or until all of the water is absorbed.

Place the sliced carrots, peas, broccoli and red pepper slices in an ovenproof pan. Toss with 2 Tbs of the coconut oil and ¾ tsp salt and roast for 20 minutes. You can place your sweet potato in the oven for 40 minutes and then add the vegetables the last 20 minutes to save time by roasting together.

Make your curry sauce. Combine all ingredients and whisk together thoroughly in a small saucepan. Bring to simmer. Simmer 2 minutes. Set aside until ready. Double the sauce recipe if you like very saucy dishes or if you are adding a meat or shrimp as you can toss the meat in the sauce before adding.

Saute your red cabbage. In a small fry pan, melt 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add the shredded red cabbage. Toss for a minute, add the ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, toss and add ¼ tsp salt.

Serve the quinoa in bowls, top with all of the vegetables and then pour on the sauce or set everything out on the counter for everyone else to make their own bowls.

Add grilled or pan fried chicken or shrimp for protein if desired.