Easy-Peasy Quinoa

Because I’m not overly keen on rice, I’m always looking for dishes that use alternatives. I love quinoa because you can do a lot with it, and it doesn’t feel as heavy as some other grains do.

I first made this recipe when invited to my youngest sister’s eighteenth birthday, somewhere in a farm in the French countryside. I had been assured there would be ‘vegetarian options’, which I realised upon arriving was a little basket of veggies and half a packet of quinoa…

Making do with what was available gave birth to this dish, which I refined after coming back home to a fully stocked kitchen.

Recipe

Type: Vegan

Approx. Preparation time: 5 mins

Approx. Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• One cup of quinoa
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• 3 small ripe tomatoes
• One teaspoon coriander powder
• Half a teaspoon ground turmeric
• A handful fresh coriander leaves

Preparation steps

1. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes
2. Chop the coriander roughly
3. Boil a small pan of water

Cooking steps

1. When the water boils, add a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Add the quinoa to the water and leave to simmer for 20 mins
2. Sieve the quinoa once it is cooked
3. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a medium pan
4. Add the chopped tomatoes to the hot oil and stir well
5. Sprinkle with the coriander powder, the salt and pepper and stir for a minute
6. Add the quinoa to the pan and stir well for a minute
7. Add turmeric and stir well for a minute
8. Take off the heat
9. Add the chopped coriander and mix well
10. Serve hot!