This is a great recipe for those evenings when you’re really busy but still want to get a quick, healthy meal on the table.
This recipe is based off of an easy and inexpensive dish I used to make a long time ago. Back then I used white rice instead of quinoa and ketchup instead of diced tomatoes. It’s cheaper to make it that way, and my husband and I both enjoyed it, but being older and wiser now, I wanted to come up with a better and healthier way to make it. Making the two small changes–to quinoa and diced tomatoes–makes this a much healthier dish, but it’s still just as easy and delicious. It’s a perfect meal for those busy mid-week evenings when you need something quick to get on the table.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups kielbasa, diced
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (preferably low sodium or no salt added)
- 1 3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth
- Olive oil for cooking
Method
Preheat a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes with about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add carrots and onion. Mix. Cook on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, rinse off quinoa, making sure it’s clean with no black seeds. After carrots and onion have cooked, push them to the side, add about 1 more tbsp of olive oil, and add quinoa. Stir quinoa so that it is covered in olive oil (but do not mix it with carrots and onions yet). Toast quinoa for 5-7 minutes, mixing every minute or so to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan. Also mix the carrots and onion so they don’t stick and burn.
Once quinoa is toasted, mix it with carrots and onion. Add tomatoes, kielbasa, and chicken broth, and mix.
Cover the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, mix, and serve.
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.