This is one of my absolute staple dishes that I make all the time. It’s so incredibly simple and makes me feel great every time I eat it. It’s so easy to prepare, quick to cook and all you’re left with is one pan to clean – not quite as convenient as shoving a pizza into the oven, but almost 😉  It’s a very useful dish to have on your radar for when you’re feeling lazy, uninspired or simply have no time but still want a warm and nourishing meal.

I like making a big pot of this and taking some to uni throughout the week, having it as it is or adding whatever else might be in my fridge that needs eating. It would also make a great side dish as part of a larger spread for guests (I’m thinking with some falafel, hummus, salad and roasted aubergine for summer, or a warming chickpea stew in winter…), and you can easily jazz it up by adding some pomegranate seeds, for example, like in the picture below.

Turmeric & Ginger spiced Quinoa

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 200g quinoa, uncooked
• ca. 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ca. 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or even better: grate some fresh ginger)
• veg of choice (I’ll usually go for some combination of carrots, peas, bok choy, broccoli and flower sprouts)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

Instructions

1. Add the quinoa to a pan and cover with water (I tend to just eyeball it. If you add too much you can drain it after, so you can’t really go wrong), adjusting to high heat.
2. Add salt and pepper and the spices (feel free to add whatever else you desire, like some chili, or coriander is also lovely in this) and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes or until the quinoa is soft and fluffy and no longer has that hard grainy center. (I find it can help to just leave the quinoa on the warm stove for a few minutes to fluff up, after the liquid has been soaked up).
3. Note: Depending on the vegetables you choose you’ll be adding them in the beginning (the carrots for example), or in the last few minutes (the peas, bok choy or flower sprouts).
4. Once everything is cooked, stir in the coconut or olive oil – this is so important as it makes the quinoa wonderfully silky and it really brings out the flavor. It also increases your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients from the lovely veggies.

Enjoy!

Feel Good Fact #1: Both turmeric and ginger contain powerful anti-inflammatory compounds and are said to have anti-cancer properties.

Feel Good Fact #2: Quinoa is a great source of plant protein – 100g uncooked (as is the serving size here) containing around 13g – and dietary fiber. Both should help keep you full and provide you with slow-releasing energy.