I have been making various types of Ethiopian-inspired lentils with sautéed spinach and Japanese-inspired quinoa spinach for weeks, now. And it finally dawned on me that I should just combine them together and make spinach quinoa in one dish!
I have one problem, though. I don't have any ginger. I almost always keep some on hand. You can even mince ginger and submerge it in oil to keep it from going bad. This works particularly well if you tend not to use it before it starts to shrivel and turn! But I've someone managed to find myself without any ginger. And, as much as I like grocery shopping, I can’t exactly justify going during a pandemic when I only need one item!
But I persevered and just went without. Which turned out to be quite fortunate because this quinoa dish is hands down one of the best things that I’ve made all season! I highly recommend it and will try to remind myself of this happy accident every time that I'm out of a single ingredient. Just because one thing is missing, doesn't mean that you can't still make something absolutely delicious!
Gallery
This quinoa was so good thar I couldn't resist eating some of this before taking the final photo! So, note that the quinoa is missing probably about half of it in the finished photos. This recipe in it'd entirety makes about 2 cups of quinoa and there certainly isn't that much left when I photographed it!
Variations of Spinach Quinoa
I am never one to shy away from quinoa and sweet potatoes. It's a staple and perpetually one of my favorite things to make! I don't always make it with spinach, but it's my new obsession lately. It goes incredibly well in everything from eggs to salads to burritos.
Spinach quinoa combines Ethiopian-inspired lentils with sautéed spinach and Japanese-inspired quinoa. It might at first sound like an odd combination at first! But what else is food for than creating absolutely delectible meals out of what you have on hand? And this quinoa salad with sweet potatoes and spinach is one of my new favorite dishes. It's sure to make an appearance in everything that I make in the next week, from salads and eggs to burritos.
Add sweet potato, spinach, turmeric, garlic, quinoa, and water to a rice cooker.
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. High heat oil and a precise cooking temperature are important to keep the tofu from drying out or burning.
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