Veggie Quinoa Pilaf

Happy Tuesday! How is your week treating you so far?

Yesterday I told one of my co-workers to have a good weekend as I was leaving for the day ~ yep! That pretty much sums up how my week has started out.

So what do I do when I'm having a bad day? Head straight to the kitchen my friends! Nothing says bliss like some amazing and delish comfort food :-) The old Andrea would have reached straight for the Doritos or KitKat bars, but this new gal cooked up an awesome quinoa pilaf full of delicious fresh veggies. It was HEAVEN....and I didn't have any 'morning-after' regret from over-indulging ;-)

Veggie Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4 as a side dish

2 tbsp coconut oil (or canola)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 baby carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 c chopped crimini mushrooms
1/2 c broccoli, diced
2 c vegetable broth
1 c uncooked quinoa
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder.

After about 5 minutes, add the veggies to the onion and cook an additional 5 minutes. Once the veggies are softened, add the quinoa and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lemon over the entire dish. Remove the skillet from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff and serve.

This is such a tasty dish! I had to resist the temptation to eat it right out of the skillet with a spoon!

I've been craving lemon on everything lately!

It really added a little pizazz to the pilaf! 

I served my quinoa pilaf with a side of roasted sweet potatoes. It was definitely a mood boosting meal!

Have you ever tried quinoa before? What's your fave way to cook it?
What do you do to unwind after a loooonnnggg day at the office?

Have a great day!

Andrea

PS - what do you think of my nail polish colour??