I made Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes & Spinach last week. I notably was out of ginger and just decided to go for it! Which was not at all disappointing. Actually incredibly delicious. But, after an actually needed grocery store run, I have replenished my ginger supply! And have added in both ginger and red bell peppers to the quinoa and sweet potatoes. So, here we go: bell pepper quinoa!
I don't always cook with bell peppers. They can be odd to navigate. They're almost bitter when raw and can to be a little too sweet when cooked. Cutting them fine enough can keep the sogginess from being overwhelming. But I was slightly worried about both sweet potatoes and red bell peppers!
This definitely turned out on the sweeter side. But it would be absolutrly perfect for anyone worried about the bitterness of quinoa. The sweet potato and bell peppers absolutely balance it out. I found myself even adding a little bit more hot sauce in subsequent meals with it to push it more in the savory department.
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Variations of Bell Pepper Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my favorite things to make. Every couple of weeks it's definitely back in my rotation! There are plenty of varieties and flavor profiles to run with. I tend to stick to sweet potato with quinoa, but every now and then I mix it up with some other potato varieties or flavor profiles. Mixing it up with something like yams, spinach, and Brussel sprouts is fun. Really, just toss in whatever you have on hand, add about three times the amount of water (which will vary slightly depending on whether you have potatoes, sweet potatoes, or another ingredient that is quite water absorbent), and press start! There are few simpler meals.
This bell pepper quinoa combines spinach, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, ginger, lightly fried tofu, rice vinegar, and tamari. With less than 15 minutes of prep, it's a quick and easy recipe to just toss into the rice cooker on the go! It makes for the perfect on-the-go meal or side dish. I almost always have a batch of quinoa ready to toss in with eggs or a burrito. This variation with sweet potatoes and bell peppers is on the sweeter side. But it's perfectly balanced by the more savory ginger and acidic rice vinegar and tamari.
Add sweet potato, bell pepper, turmeric, ginger, quinoa, water, and spinach to a rice cooker.I usually add the spinach earlier in the process, but almost forgot about it and mixed it in right before cooking! Either way is fine. The order that you put ingredients into the pot doesn't make that much of a difference. I'll usually start with the larger ingredients, like sweet potatoes, and end with the spices on top. But this is more or less a matter of personal preference. Everything will eventually cook in!
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes.
Fry Tofu
While the quinoa is cooking, drain the water out of the tofu and cut into cubes.
Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying at high temperatures, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.
Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Finish Quinoa
When the quinoa is fully cooked, add tofu, rice vinegar, tamari, salt, and pepper.Different brand of vinegar and tamari will have vastly different tastes. I recommend starting with a couple of tablespoons and then building up. These flavors will also seep in over time and become stronger the longer that it sits. So make sure not to add too much! Particularly if you aren't serving right away.
Fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil to fluff! It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I used Fresh Turmeric in Olive Oil. You can easily substitute dried turmeric. But there is something particularly refreshing about fresh turmeric! And, if you can find it, mincing it and preserving in olive oil is the key to longevity.
While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. For more tips and tricks to rice cooker quinoa, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Quinoa, including a stovetop version if you don't have or don't want to use a rice cooker.
I also tend to prefer tamari over soy sauce. They're both made from fermented soy and a lot of recipes use them interchangeably. Tamari tends to have a richer flavor and less salt content. It also tends to be gluten free.
For a more in-depth article on preparing tofu, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Fried Tofu. Tofu is a surprisingly simple ingredient to work with that is very often overcomplicated. There are some easy pitfalls to avoid for perfectly soft tofu with a nice, crispy fried edge. Using a minimal amount of oil and avoiding the hard, dried out consistency of over-baking or deep frying!
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