We love cooking with quinoa because it is such a healthy and versatile grain. It pretty much takes on the flavor profile of whatever it is with, while still adding a unique crunchy texture. A dish we often make when we want to take a break from heavy, meaty dinners is Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad. A friend brought it to a dinner party once, and it was an instant "Why didn't I think of that?" moment because it's so easy yet so tasty!
Here are the steps in a nutshell.
Roast your favorite veggies with your favorite spices. This time around we used diced sweet potatoes, diced beets, shredded kale, and shredded Brussels sprouts. When jicama is available we love to dice that up and add it, too. We tossed them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of smoked paprika. Then we popped them in the oven at around 400F until they were browned and tender. While the veggies are roasting, boil your quinoa according to package instructions.
Add some fresh chopped tomatoes to your roasted veg and mix together with the quinoa. (Our dinner guest also added chopped walnuts for extra crunch and protein in hers.)
Toss all of it with a delicious honey vinaigrette, and voila! It can be eaten warm or room-temperature. Done and yum!
Sounds pretty good! If you've never tried it, I highly recommend this technique for cooking quinoa. it works best with a mix of light and dark quinoa varieties, and results in much more texture. Cooking with stock instead of water will also get you more flavor... http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-quinoa-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-63344
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