I tore this recipe out of my May/June issue of ”Vegetarian Times” and have thought about making it on several occasions since then. I never seemed to have all the ingredients at the same time. I didn’t have avocado, or I forgot to pick up red quinoa (regular quinoa would have worked just fine but it wasn’t the fun red color :) ). I was walking out to my car from work and thinking about what I wanted to make for dinner, which I do most days, and realized the ingredients had aligned. I finally had everything with no extra running around. I mean it only calls for 7 ingredients (4 of which I always have readily available), it shouldn’t have been that difficult.
This light dinner hit the spot tonight. It was just enough to fill me up without the “I’m full feeling”. You get a little bit of crunch from the sprouts, buttery smoothness from the avocado and a slightly spicy grain at the end. And I know it sounds silly, but the presentation itself made it taste that much better. I added some cremini mushrooms to my quinoa mixture to make it a bit more sustainable. I also realized while typing out the recipe that I used 3 tbsp of lime juice instead of 3 tsp. Brent commented on the zest from the lime but I didn’t really think much of it. I actually enjoyed the extra lime taste. So tsp or tbsp, whatever your pleasure, it’s still delish! You could easily make this an appetizer by placing in smaller glasses…how cute would that be. ;)
Quinoa-Avocado Verrines
Recipe from vegetariantimes.com
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup red quinoa
- 6-7 baby cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
- 3 tsp lime juice, divided
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2-3 drops Tabasco sauce (or Sirracha)
- 1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
1. Bring quinoa, 1/4 tsp chili powder, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 12-15 minutes, or until most liquid is absorbed.
2. In a medium skillet, sautee mushrooms over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
3. Whisk together 2 tsp lime juice, oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp chili powder in a bowl. Add quinoa and mushrooms, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then place in refrigerator for another 5-10 minutes.
4. Divide quinoa among glasses. (Recipe can be prepared ahead up to this point; cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours.)
5. Dice avocado, season with salt and pepper (if desired), and toss with Tabasco sauce and remaining 1 tsp lime juice.
6. Divide avocado among glasses, and top each with sprouts. Serve immediately with small forks or spoons.
I have never had quinoa, but this makes me want to try it!
It has more of a nutty flavor than rice, but it usually takes on whatever flavor you season it with. It’s so versatile. I really enjoy it. Let me know if you give it a try.