I'm incredibly fond of making sweet potato quinoa. It's one of the staples in my culinary world. I almost always have some sitting in my refrigerator to toss into burritos, alongside eggs, or mix into a salad. It's particularly good with walnuts, though. Which isn't necessarily something that I always do, but should absolutely mix in more! Quinoa has an almost bitter flavor that almost has a nutty undertone. So, adding nuts is a natural step. I often just don't have enough on hand to make it worth it! But my local Costco has been stocking walnuts in bulk. I can now add as much as I want and now you have it: sweet potatoes and walnuts quinoa.
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The first time I made this sweet potato and walnuts quinoa, I added the tomatoes in after cooking. The second time, I tossed them in before cooking. Both of these methods are perfectly find and virtually indistinguishable from one another! In the latter the tomatoes will dilute and permeate into a more subtle flavor. In the former, the tomatoes are going to be a little bit crisper. This is entirely a matter off personal preference. And, if you're eating them as leftovers, it becomes kind of a moot point because the tomato settles, anyway.
What to Make w/ Walnuts Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my go-to staples. I almost always have a batch of quinoa, lentils, or rice in the refrigerator. With this particular set of quinoa, I went down the Latin American and Mediterranean route to make salads and burritos. The walnuts pair incredibly well with fish and avocado. They're truly one of my favorite flavor and textural combinations. And some of my best recipes of the season!
This sweet potato and walnuts quinoa contains garlic, shallots, freshly squeezed lime juice, olive oil, quinoa, tomatoes, and walnuts. It's one of my favorite versions of quinoa and a staple in my refrigerator. Today, I seasoned it with cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Although you can easily mix and match your own favorite fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Add all of the ingredients, except for the tomatoes and walnuts, into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients. Top with the spices and citrus juice. 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. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, let sit for 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and walnuts, and then 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
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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