Last night I made a surprisingly scrumptious side dish.
I started by cooking 3/4 cup of quinoa on the stovetop in 1 1/2 cup of water. Once the quinoa was nice and fluffy, I stirred in some sliced scallions, soy sauce and steamed cauliflower that I mashed with a fork.
I want to try adding a fried egg and some shrimp to the quinoa next time since the dish already reminded me of fried rice. Yum! As you can see, I enjoyed my quinoa with a side of broiled salmon for dinner yesterday.
This afternoon, I used the rest of the leftover salmon on top of a big salad that included lots of veggies.
Oh so many colors!
Though the salmon in this salad was tasty, the beets stole the show. I love them a little too much!
Question of the Afternoon
- What is the best side dish you’ve made recently?
I loved the above quinoa dish an awful lot, but I seem to make my simple ginger curry roasted cauliflower weekly. It’s just so darn delicious!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I’ve done the “fried rice” quinoa before – SO good.
Stir fried quinoa…I love it! I want to try that too! This cajun pasta salad is way less healthy but absolutely outstanding, especially for lunchtime leftovers. It is great as a side, but it can also serve as a main course. http://fritosandfoiegras.com/2013/01/cajun-chicken-pasta-my-precious.html
I LOVE beets. It is always a delicious treat when they’re in my lunch salads! I go to Whole Foods and fill a small container with their beet vinaigrette and try to ration it out for the week! It is SO good! I highly recommend trying them-they’re my favorite
That quinoa looks great! I made spaghetti squash with peanut soy sauce a couple weeks ago that was yummy 🙂
i HAVE to try that!
I just had quinoa last night for dinner too actually! My roommate and I made quinoa mac and cheese and it was delicious! It was my first time making it and I will most certainly be eating it again very soon.
I still haven’t done the “fried quinoa” yet. I’ve seen it before, but haven’t tried it for myself. Ah, I love beets too. I never make them nearly enough because they stain my fingers so bad, which makes them that much better when I take the time to cook them.
I made some sweet potato fries coated in a little bit of coconut oil….DELISH and super simple!
YUM – that quinoa side sounds delish! I might tempted to sprinkle some chilli flakes over top and then I would be good to go.
I made a delicious quinoa side dish last night…quinoa, diced cucumber, tomato, garlic, EVOO, red wine vinegar, oregeno, S&P, cheese. It was good both warm and cold!
that sounds wonderful. so fresh!
I made green beans on the stovetop the other night and just sauteed them in this olive oil that is herb infused (from Wegmans) and a clove of minced garlic. They came out so great and flavorful!
Beets are the BEST salad component!
Ooh definitely try the fried egg on top of your quinoa! I do that all the time and it’s soo good.
My favorite side recently has been my mom’s smashed redskin potatoes. Just smash them with a little sour cream, parmesean cheese, salt, pepper and butter…super simple and super yummy!
I was lucky to find some beautiful squash at Fresh Market this weekend and cooked it up last night with bbq chicken tenders…..delicious!!!
German potato salad! I love the tang of vinegar and the bits of bacon. When I make it, I am reminded of my mom. She made it a lot.
I love beets! I toss them in my shakes all the time since my husband hates them and won’t eat them at dinner. As far as sides, I have to say I love mashed garlic parsnips with some nutritional yeast stirred in.
whooooa! do you follow a certain recipe for the mashed parsnips or just wing it?
I peel them, cube them up and boil them for about 10 minutes with veggie stock (water works find too), garlic, and onions. Then drain, add a splash of milk and mix with my handmixer for extra whippiness. You really can’t go wrong.
That quinoa looks awesome! I actually might make it tonight!
I think The BF would love this! Great idea 🙂 I’m trying this soon with the addition of the egg.
I love sauteed spinach and onions as my favorite side dish. It always steals my heart, no matter how often I eat it. So simple and so delicious. I made some delish couscous the other day though too. yum yum yum.
I didn’t make it – But on Saturday we had cauliflower & brie au gratin… to die for!
Omg, I fried an egg in my quinoa the other day. I had some left over quinoa and fried it with a couple of eggs and coconut oil and ate it for breakfast. I think you’re idea sounds awesome as well…fried rice quinoa! Lol!
My best side dish is just garlic-y sauteed broccoli….it goes with everything and no one gets tired of it. My whole family is obsessed with broccoli. We actually just finished planting broccoli, kale, swiss chard, and english peas in our little back yard garden.
That looks like a quinoa dish I’d enjoy. I have a hard time getting into quinoa. The mix of ingredients has to be just right and really flavorful for it to work for me. Might try this sometime 🙂
That quinoa looks awesome! Over the weekend, I made some amazing paleo stuffed mushrooms. I just kind of threw some things together and it totally worked. I’m hoping to get the recipe up on my blog one day this week!
Simple fried rice side dishes are my favorite…I top with a fried egg and call it dinner pretty often! I love it with sesame oil, plum vinegar, and soy sauce. Fantastic!
I absolutely love quinoa and fried rice, so will have to try this soon! I tried your curry roasted cauliflower the other night and both my husband and I loved it! Thanks for making veggies so fun! 🙂
I love quinoa! It’s so versatile, too! I recently tried roasting carrots, and they turned out sooooo delicious: http://eatmovebalance.com/roasted-rainbow-carrots/
quinoa is so awesome! i love cous cous and polenta for sides too.
I never would have thought to add cauliflower to it, smart! I have made “fried rice” with quinoa though and it’s delicious!
I am definitely trying that quinoa idea! sounds delicious!
mmmmm that sounds deeeeelish!!
I love cauliflower couscous toasted with dried cranberries and toasted pecans stirred through! Love roasted green beans with toasted flaked almonds, sesame seeds and a little sesame oil!
Yum! I love quinoa. It tastes amazing and the health benefits are awesome. That side looks so great. I actually have a fried quinoa recipe on my blog that you can find here: http://cleaneatingveggiegirl.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/veggie-fried-quinoa-recipe/
All of the food looks delish!!
I was just thinking of making quinoa for a side dish for the lobster tails I’m planning on cooking up on Thursday…I’ll have to try this!
That looks delicious! I don’t feel like I’ve made a good side at all recently!
We have actually eaten fried rice quinoa as the MAIN dish. Super simple and nutritious! We haven’t made a lot of side dishes recently though, our meals have been pretty heavy with the entrees (note, a lot of Italian) soooo they steal the show
I made your curry ginger cauliflower tonight! I eat it a lot now — it is delicious!!! 🙂 I also made cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes with coconut oil which was amazing! Going to have to try the quinoa now! Thanks for the great ideas!
so glad you like it!
Sweet potato fries are probably one of my favorite sides to make. I also really like mashed cauliflower. 🙂
I bet the egg and shrimp would be DELISH! I never think of putting things together like that, I’m super impressed 🙂
Your quinoa side sounds delicious! I’ve seen a few recipes for quinoa fried rice but have yet to try any. Lately, I’ve been doing quinoa cooked in chicken broth with sliced almonds and craisins, super simple and tasty!
Roasted red and golden beets with goat cheese and pine nuts is perfection in itself!
Pesto quinoa! cook the quinoa and then stir in some pesto with a little bit of lemon juice and then sprinkle it with sliced toasted almonds and parmesan cheese 🙂 soooo good!
I LOVE salmon! It’s by far my favorite food!
Derrrrishishhh. lol.
I haven’t had salmon in a long time – I better get on that.
I saw beets at the grocery store the other day and ALMOST grabbed them. I don’t think I have EVER had one….
Yum! That quinoa looks amazing! Definitely going to try it out 🙂 I usually make mine with cumin, lemon, and olive oil plus a ton of different veggies 🙂
I made crimini mushrooms in a white wine reduction (recipe on blog) and it is SOOO tasty! Love the idea of adding mashed cauliflower. I will have to try it 😀
that sounds wonderful!
Green beans stir fried in sesame oil & topped with roasted almonds are a delicious side dish!
Yum! Definitely have to try that sometime. ‘Fried Quinoa’ 😉
That looks super yummy! My favorites sides I have come up with are vegetables and also quinoa. I have the recipes for both here: http://abetteryeartoabetterlife.com/2012/06/15/my-worst-run-ever-the-best-vegetables-i-have-ever-eaten/ !
oh my yum! i freakin love quinoa… i could eat a gigantic pot of it. something about the texture is so delicious. im just wondering, the way you talk on the blog, do you talk like this in person? with the same vocabulary? i know from my blog, i can say some whacky stuff (but thats because its the internet!) and in person i would never speak like that… idk if that’s deceiving but i just wanted to ask you because you’re a popular blogger. thoughts on that?