Quinoa and Sweet Potatos

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health cookbook

Ingredients

Basic Recipe
¾ cup quinoa, rinsed in fine-meshed strainer
1 tbls olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 2/3 cup water (or substitute low sodium broth)

Version One (my own modification, you can create many from this point)
¼ cup dried mushrooms, chopped
3 green garlic, chopped (or 3 cloves garlic and 3 scallion onions)
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Another Version
2 cups fresh spinach, lightly packed and finely chopped
2 tbls toasted pine nuts (2-3 minutes in a small dry pan on medium high heat)
¼ cup currents
1 tbls minced scallions
1 tbls lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

1) In a covered saucepan, warm oil and sauté onions and salt over low heat, stirring now and then until onions are transparent, about 8 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, whites of green garlic or garlic cloves, dried mushrooms, broth and quinoa, cover and bring to simmer. Lower heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If the quinoa is still not done when the liquid is gone, add water until desired consistency.

2) Remove from heat. Stir in pine nuts and green part of green garlic (or scallion onions) and salt and pepper to taste.


Still more options, get creative!

1) Add minced fresh chilies and or garlic along with the onions.
2) Stir in chopped fresh parsley, basil, cilantro and/or scallions or chives before serving.
3) Garnish with toasted almonds or sesame seeds
4) Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice or a drizzle of soy sauce