Herb & Veggie Quinoa Pilaf

The other day I was thinking about the recipes I've shared with you here, and I realized that *all* of them are sweet! Yes, I have a terrible sweet tooth, but what you might not know is that I also love all my veggies (even Brussels sprouts--when they're cooked correctly!) and I make a concerted effort to cook healthful dinners as often as I can.


Last week, when H was out of town, I tested out a new recipe designed to satiate my curiosity for quinoa while using up the many vegetables on the verge of passing on to veggie heaven in my refrigerator. I don't think it's a particularly revolutionary recipe--I'm sure quinoa has been used this way by many before me--but it's one of the few successful main dishes I've concocted on my own in my short career as Head Chef of The Household. I made it again tonight (just before a pipe busted in our building and we lost water--good timing, huh?), and it's even passed muster with H, who, with all due respect, has been known to wrinkle his nose at my "healthy food" when he thinks I'm not looking ;) Speaking of healthy, you can feel good about the fact that the only fat in here comes from the tofu and however much oil you use up in sauteeing the vegetables, and quinoa is a pretty high-fiber, high-protein grain. Not to mention very fun to eat, for its toothsome texture and squiggly little white grain germ.

The herbs and veggies can be varied many, many ways. The first time I made this, I used up half a packet of mushrooms (which I chopped finely and zapped in the microwave before adding them to the pot, to get their water out before mixing so it wouldn't make everything soggy), and I think this would do well with chopped kale, corn kernels, or lima beans, too. Also, the herbs were chosen for convenience, as I generally keep one of those poultry fresh herb packets (rosemary, thyme, sage) on hand, but you can use whatever you've got in your own kitchen, dried and fresh alike. I would have liked to crumble some fat-free feta cheese in, too, but alas we're all out at the moment.

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa
2 c. vegetable broth
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, whole (optional)

~2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 oz. (about 1/3 of a bag) fresh baby spinach, washed
1/4 c. chopped fresh herbs (I used up the leaves from my celery and some fresh thyme leaves)

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved
7 oz. (1/2 block) firm or extra firm tofu, cubed

Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh lemon wedges

Directions:

In a pot, bring quinoa and veggie broth to a boil over medium-high heat. When it gets to a rolling boil, throw in the rosemary sprig, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed.

While the quinoa gets going, separately sautee the onions, garlic, celery and spinach in the olive oil just until the spinach is wilted. If the quinoa's not done by this point, just hang out until it is. When the quinoa's cooked, discard the rosemary sprig and stir in the fresh herbs. Add the quinoa mix to the sauteed veggies and stir to get things mixed. Gently stir in tomatoes and tofu, cook over low heat just until everything's warmed through. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with lemon wedges, which should be squeezed over the dish just before eating. If you don't have fresh lemon on hand, you can sprinkle some bottled lemon juice in when you mix the quinoa into the veggies.

Serves 2-3 as a main dish.