Weeknight Quinoa Crack Bowls

Quinoa bowls have been my jam lately. And by that I mean that I have become totally obsessed with them, not least because one-skillet meals are so damn easy to make, and the clean up is minimal. They are like crack. For real. I want to eat them all the time. I want to eat one now. And again, I really can't stress enough how little mess this meal makes. 

It's okay, because I hate them back.

I was originally turned on to this by my friend, Sheridan, who sent me this recipe.

But of course, since I only had like three of the ingredients on the list, I just made things up as I went along, and while the original recipe was meant to be a breakfast item, I love it for dinner. It’s hearty and filling, and it feels like comfort food but is still pretty freaking good for you. And it is very easy to customize. Like, so easy. Like, you could make it every day and always be eating something different.

 So, first, start with a very large pan. I use my 12” nonstick skillet for this, because when you are throwing a bunch of different stuff into one skillet, you need lots of room. And it’s lucky that this recipe is a one-skillet affair, because this skillet takes up like ¾ of my range. Skillet.

Then cook your bacon. Make it extra, extra crispy. Then take it out and set it aside, and drain off a little bit of the grease if you want. I do, because my bacon usually makes a a lot of grease, and all you really need is about 2TBS for the rest of the recipe. If you wanted to make this vegan/vegetarian, just skip the bacon. I like the crunch and salt, but it’s not necessary by any means. Just use some butter instead of the bacon grease (or, for  vegan, use olive oil).

Then start cooking the veggies. I like to throw in some garlic or onion (whatever oniony thing you have lying around) first. Start with the squash, because it takes the longest. (Note: the original recipe called for sweet potato, which would be great. I have used one smallish-medium butternut squash, peeled and diced. But you know what? Sometimes you can buy pre-diced squash at the store, which I would totally do.

Or you could use other squash, like zuchinni, or carrots. Eggplant would also be good.) Start seasoning now. Just salt and pepper is fine, but you could add some cayenne or red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning if you want something a littler more fiery.

Then the mushrooms. (This is a bout a pound I think. However much comes in a package. Sorry I'm not more precise. I'm not a scientist.) Because they take the next longest. (I have also tried this with spinach. It wilted quite a bit and didn’t add much to the flavor or texture, but it did add some spinachy nutrients.) Broccoli would also be good here.  Season again. Remember, we make flavor with light layers of seasoning.

Then the asparagus (because I had some lying around. This is one whole bunch. A whole bunch of asparagus.) Other choices that might be good: bean sprouts, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, bell peppers, whatever.

Once all the veggies are sautéed to softness but not totally done (because they will simmer. So keep that in mind.), add the quinoa. I have also tried this with rice, and it tasted fine, but it will need a bit longer cooking time. This is about a cup of quinoa. It doesn't look like much when it's toasting, but when it cooks it gets enormous! 

Let the quinoa toast a bit, and then add the broth. I used chicken broth, but if you want to be vegetarian or vegan, just use vegetable stock, or you can just use water. I would recommend broth though, for flavor.

Cover and let cook until the liquid is all absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy and full. You’ll know when it’s done because it won’t look soupy anymore and the quinoa will have gotten so prolific that you’ll wonder where the veggies went.

Now, for the last (best) part. The part where I realize that I have been lying to myself (and to you) because actually, you need a second pan for this. Time to fry an egg! Get out a second pan, and if you want, you could melt some butter or use some of the leftover bacon grease. Whatever you like. Fry your egg to your desired doneness. (Although, I am going to strongly recommend that you leave the yolks runny. It’s just for the best. Just do it.) If you are vegan or don’t eat eggs, just leave them off. They are not necessarily necessary.

Now to make your bowl! Yummy topping time!

I mix in some cheese and the crispy bacon to the whole pan, but you could definitely add it separately if that floats your boat. Like, maybe ½ a cup of cheese for the whole recipe is good. And I use 1/2 a package of thin cut bacon. 

Spoon some of the quinoa mixture into a bowl. Then put a fried egg on top. Then some diced avocado. YUM.

YUM, I SAY! 

Then take a moment to admire how gorgeously gorgeous this pretty much effortless meal is, and even take a picture and post to Instagram if you want.

Then, if you are me, violent break the yolk of your egg and mix everything in the bowl together into a delicious mess, and inhale it with wild abandon. Again, YUMMMMM.

 And you will be happy to know, that even with the eggs and the bacon and the grease and everything, a serving of this bowl, the way I’ve made it here, clocks in at under 500 calories. And of course, you can make all kinds of substitutions to make it lower in calories, fat, salt, whatever.

Go make a quinoa bowl! Make it every day. You’ll grow up big and strong.