Quinoa is one of my go-to staples! I cook quinoa in every flavor profile, with almost every dish. It's a very versatile grain that originated in Peru and Bolivia. It has a mild, almost nutty taste that pairs well with other spices. In this sweet potato quinoa, I have combined habaneros, yellow bell peppers, garlic, and shallots with a dash of cumin, salt, and pepper.
This isn't any sweet potato, though. It's made with Japanese sweet potatoes.
Japanese sweet potatoes are a little bit brighter in color. They tend to have a little bit purpler skin and cook a little bit more yellow than the sweet potatoes that you will typically get. They're supposed to have a sweeter and nuttier flavor as well.
I combined the sweet potatoes with quinoa, habaneros from my garden, yellow bell peppers, red onions, and garlic. Although you can easily replicate this dish with any produce that you have available and flavor profiles that you want to highlight!
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As always, Esméralda decided that she wanted to be mommy's little helper during this process. While I wouldn't quite recommend feeding any tiny creature habaneros! She is always curious to check out what's going on and give it a smell. Maybe beg for some actual pet food.
What to Make w/ Habanero & Sweet Potato Quinoa
If you're not sure what to eat with it or are looking for a little bit more inspiration, here are some other recipes that I've used with quinoa.
This quinoa recipes pairs sweet potatoes, habaneros, yellow bell peppers, garlic, and shallots. It's one of those perfect single pot meals where you can toss everything into a rice cooker and let it do its thing. Quinoa is great as a side dish or mixed into a burrito. I especially enjoy it with salmon, lettuce, and fresh cherry tomatoes.
Dice or mince all of the vegetables. Dice the sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onion. Mince the garlic and habaneros. Make sure to devein and deseed the bell peppers. The innards are edible, but rather bitter if you leave them in.I like to slice the sweet potatoes, cut them in half, and then in thirds. As with a small pizza, this makes 6 slices (one in half and then an X). That's how I make triangles, instead of cubes.
Cook Quinoa
Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker.I like to start with the larger vegetables: sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Then add the smaller ingredients: garlic and habaneros. Top with the spices: cumin, salt, and pepper. And then add the quinoa and water. This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
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. Alternatively you can simmer on the stove. Add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring uncovered to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are tender. Stir occasionally and test often. Turn off heat, add lid, and let sit another 5-10 minutes.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. 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
For this recipe, I used Japanese sweet potatoes. They can be a little more ruby colored and a little sweeter. However, any sweet potato, yam, or potato would also work.
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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