Crock Pot Quinoa & Veggies

Recently, Ben got us a crock pot, which as opened my mind to looking for a whole new set of recipes. While scoping out Pinterest like usual, I would spot lots of slow cooker ideas, and just toss them aside since I didn't have the means to cook them.  I wish I had saved them because now I find myself searching for ideas.  I found this recipe for quinoa and veggies which gave me two firsts to try out: cooking in the crock pot, and cooking quinoa.



I have heard wonderful things about the super food, but have only a little bit of experience with quinoa.  I have only eaten it twice, and I have never cooked it.  Finding a recipe to make quinoa in the crock pot inspired me to try it.  I was always a little unsure about cooking it myself, but if it could be as easy as dumping it in a crock pot, I thought I should be brave enough to try it.

What you need:



2 cups of quinoa
4 cups of veggie broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
About 5 cloves of garlic, minced
About 2 cups of your favorite veggies (I used broccoli, peas, and carrots)
Basil
Pepper

What to do:
Put your quinoa into the crock pot.
Stir in olive oil.
Mix in the veggie broth, veggies, pepper, and garlic.



Cover and cook for about 4 hours.



Once quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork.
Serve hot topped with some basil.





Then I decided to get fancy.





The quinoa had a mild but grainy taste with a nice texture which gave this meal a nice bite. The broth added the perfect mix of flavors, a little vegetabley and a little salty. I love that this lets you add whatever veggies you want. Its really customizable! The only thing I wish came out differently were the carrots, they were just a bit under cooked.  The basil was so fragrant, and went well with the garlic.  I felt like I was eating fancy food from an elegant restaurant, plus it was super healthy and vegan. I can't wait to make this again!

What is your favorite crock pot meal? How else do you like to make quinoa?

Bye from the veggie side!

Amy's Veggie Loaf

Hello everyone! I hope you have all been enjoying the nice warm weather, I know that I have! Although I do have to say I'm happy that April is almost over and May is on its way! I hate how much rain April brings. Usually right about now I am planning my move to the desert...You know, until summer hits and then I plan my move to Alaska.

Today I have an Amy's meal that I consider the substitute teacher of Amy's frozen meals. When I first became a vegetarian, many years ago, one of the very first Amy's frozen meals I found was the veggie Salisbury steak. Salisbury steak is another food that I never ate as a meat eater, but have eaten the veggie version.  I remembered how good it was, and how my mom used to microwave it to me and serve me in my room back at our first house.  I ate it for years..until one day I couldn't find it in the supermarkets anymore.  However, right about the time the Salisbury steak disappeared, the veggie loaf made its debut. I decided to give it a try, and while it wasn't exactly like the steak, it was still very good, and I knew I had found its substitute.





The Veggie Loaf reminds me of those classic 1950's TV dinners.  It comes with a veggie loaf made of lentils and other vegetables covered in a really tasty veggie gravy, mashed potatoes, and a mix of peas and corn.  I love mixing the gravy with the mashed potatoes and pretending I'm an all-American meat eater.  I have never actually had real gravy on mashed potatoes!





This meal really reminds me of my grandma's cooking, because she always used healthy ingredients..and a lot of lentils!  I always feel good after eating this really healthy meal, full of protein and veggies, but I like pretending that its bad for you! :-P

Have you tried Amy's Veggie Loaf?  Do you like vegetarian meat loafs?

Bye from the Veggie Side!