I'm on a sweet potato and spinach kick. The other day, I made an Omelette w/ Sweet Potato, Pear, Spinach & Chèvre. I also made Avocado Dip w/ White Beans & Walnuts. So, along that line, today I'm making a sweet potato, shallot, and spinach quinoa. Quinoa and white bean avocado might not be everyone's go-to combination! But I'm really quite fond of the pairing. There are very few things that don't go well with avocados. And I'm probably going to end up making a plethora of Burritos with this combination. Although both of these recipes can be enjoyed separately or mixed into any number of other dishes. Some of my favorites are omelettes, scrambled eggs, alongside toast, and in a variety of nachos, burritos, and pastas.
Quinoa kind of has a reputation for being bitter and difficult to work with. I tend to play this up with a splash of tamari and rice vinegar and then balance it out with something on the opposite end of the spectrum, like sweet potatoes. It's one of those dishes where you can really play around with the fruits and vegetables that you add, though. So, feel free to mix and match in what you have on hand or the flavor profiles that you enjoy! After all, cooking should be fun and personal to you and what you're looking for in a dish.
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Variations of Spinach Quinoa
I frequently toss it in with sweet potatoes and whatever produce that I have on hand at the time. I ordinarily keep sweet potatoes, garlic, shallots, onions, and some plethora of carrots, bell peppers, and hot peppers at any given time. They're my go-to staples. Although, rice cooker quinoa is a great way to mix and match in your own favorite produce and spice blends.
This Spinach Quinoa consists of fresh spinach, sweet potatoes, shallots, garlic, tamari (or soy sauce of choice), and rice vinegar. It's a great simple recipe to throw together with your own favorite ingredients or what you have lying around.
Add sweet potato, spinach, shallot, garlic, quinoa, and water to a rice cooker.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.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, add 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
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.
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