Z’s Quinoa Plate

THM-E, Low-fat, EASY to make!

Stir And THEN Fry

I never really understood why they called veggies all thrown together in a pan and cooked like regular dishes,  “Stir-fry”. I could understand if they called it “stir and then fry”, but not “stir-fry”. And even the “fry” part. There is no “frying” really involved.

I know, random. I need to focus!

But seriously now, this dish (technically) falls under the category of “stir-fry”, even though there really isn’t any “frying” going on. At least not with traditional loads of grease.

There is very little fat in this dish, so it is great to pair with quinoa.

It really is SO easy to make.

If you prefer brown rice, I think that would work too. I just love the texture of veggies and meat in a sauce. The pair works great when you are also craving a carb to go with them. This dish would probably also fall under the THM category of a “drive-though-sue”. Because of the kielbasa sausage.

Best of all, you don’t have to add flour to thicken the “sauce”, it’s simply chicken broth and a little but of xantham gum! Yay for healthy ways to thicken stuff!

Food Photo Madness

I’m sure you know this about me now, but I love food photography! It is one of those passions I never knew I had! There has always been something about making food look pretty that has been my favorite. So, when I discovered that I can take pictures of pretty food, that was it! I was sold!

For some reason though, this dish was exceptionally hard to photograph. Maybe there were just too many textures going on here? I don’t know.

So, I took it as a challenge to try to capture how pretty it actually was!

The lighting was so bad at night, so I had to wait until the next day and re-set it up (yes, the actual good photos were of my leftovers…which, by the way, was just as good as when I first cooked it).

The thing is, when you take pictures, if you have bad lighting…it could ruin what you think about whatever is being photographed. If you have a delicious dish, and it looks amazing, but you have no good lighting…then it does NOT look appetizing!

I’ve had countless recipes that I have made and then I go to take pictures of it, and the lighting is just not good (I prefer to take pics in natural light). The food wit bad lighting, most of the time, turns out un-appealing. 🙁

But, good lighting makes all the difference!

Viola! I had found the light! (Reminds me of one of my favorite songs…”I saw the light, I saw the light…no more in darkness, no more in night…now I am so happy, no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord, I saw the light!!!”).

There is a lot I still have to learn about food photography, but I thoroughly enjoy the process!

The Recipe

Ok, ok…enough about photography. I just wanted to share a blurb about one of my many passions!

As for the recipe, it is very easy and quick to make. Especially if you don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen! I used one big pot for the veggies and meat and a medium pot for the quinoa.

Yay low-mess dinners!

So, Here is the recipe for this delicious and easy meal! Hope you and enjoy it! Cheers!

-Z

Zaneta Francis

Z’s Quinoa Plate

A delicious and easy meal that is sure to impress even the pickiest of eaters! THM-E, Low-fat.

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• 1 head of broccoli (or about 16 oz bag)
• 2 turkey keilbasa smoked sausage links (the ones that are shaped like an elongated "C")
• 4 cups chicken broth (I use the bullion)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 3 cups of dried quinoa

Instructions

1. ---Quinoa:
2. In medium pan, add 3 cups of quinoa and 3 cups of chicken broth (I add 3 cups of water and them 1 tbs bullion), and salt and pepper to taste. Turn on high until boiling.
3. Boil the quinoa for about 5 minutes on high, and then turn down to medium and cook covered for another 20 minutes or until soft. Now on to the veggies and meat part...
4. ---Veggies and Meat:
5. In large pan, melt 1-2 tsp of butter
6. add in minced garlic and cook until softened (about 2 minutes)
7. Add in bell peppers and broccoli
8. stir until all veggies are soft and or slightly browned
9. add in turkey keilbasa and brown
10. cook until browned
11. In a small mixing bowl add about 1 cup chicken broth and 1 tsp xantham gum and whisk together until smooth.
12. Add to pan of veggies and meat.
13. Mix until combined.
14. Serve the veggies and meat hot over the cooked quinoa!
15. Enjoy!

7.8.1.2

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https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/02/21/zs-quinoa-plate/

Nutrition

Calories

2333 cal

Fat

42 g

Carbs

384 g

Protein

97 g

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