I have known for a long time that Americans LOVE their peanut butter, but this week it became apparent to me just how much I love it.
As I thought about what healthy meal I could make, all that I could think about was the recipe I had found for Crunchy Thai Quinoa with Ginger Peanut Butter dressing.
Even though I made a Thai Peanut Butter Pita Pockets meal last week, it was all I could think about. I added in extra ingredients to give it additional nutritional benefits, and made some changes so it was ready for whenever I needed it!
This was the finished product; It made enough for five meal sized portions and took under 30 minutes to make! Simple, easy, and so moreish it was difficult to stop!
This dish actually tasted best cold, and a day later. The quinoa needs some time to absorb all the flavor to really stand out. A perfect summer dinner for those days it’s too hot to cook, and you need something quick and easy!
Thai Veggie Quinoa
Ingredients
Quinoa:
1 ¾ cup water
1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper diced
½ red onion, diced
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup chickpeas
½ cup edamame, cooked
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup nuts (I used peanuts)
Optional lime juice, add as desired
Dressing:
1/2 cups peanut butter
2 tablespoons agave (or honey)
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
Cook quinoa by rinsing with cold water to remove the chance of a bitter taste.
Heat the water in a saucepan to a medium boil, add quinoa and let boil for about a minute. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. It should take about 15 minutes to absorb all the water. Fluff it with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Make the dressing by adding the peanut butter and agave together. Depending on how soft your peanut butter is, you may need to heat it a little in the microwave.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients and stir until it makes a creamy sauce. It may take a few minutes, but will eventually come together. If you want it to be thinner then add a little more oil or water.
Mix the dressing into the quinoa and stir until evenly coated.
Add in the red cabbage, peppers, red onion, carrots, cilantro, chickpeas, edamame and nuts into the mix and stir until well distributed. Put in the fridge and allow to chill for a few hours! Enjoy 🙂
2 Comments.
Yum! Love the edamame and chickpeas in it and I love quinoa. My son is allergic to peanuts, so I have to have a peanut free home. I am thinking, what if I substitute almond butter?!
Great idea 🙂 yum!