Janice's Quinoa with Grilled Veggies

Simple, quick, and delicious. A real hit with my family. If you have not tried quinoa, this is the perfect introductory recipe. If you are not a fan of spicy peppers, substitute any kind you like. The nutrition facts, set for side dish, were made at Calorie Count!

Quinoa with Grilled Veggies

Grilled Veggie Ingredients:

4 banana peppers, deseeded and cut in half
2  hot chili peppers, deseeded
1 habanero pepper, deseeded and cut in half
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
6 baby bellas, rinsed and dried

Quinoa ingredients:

1 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked to package directions)
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 t ground garlic
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
pinch of salt

Directions:

After prepping the veggies, run them all through skewers in preparation for grilling. There is no need to marinade, but if you want to, you could use some olive oil, garlic, and black pepper.

Start the quinoa before you put the peppers on the grill. I got fast cooking quinoa - simmering time 10 minutes, then sitting time 5 minutes. It never hurts to have things like this done ahead of time. Waiting on the quinoa while the veggies cool off would not be tasty.

Grill over medium-hot coals, turning frequently approximately 15 minutes or until nicely charred and cooked through.

When the quinoa is done, sprinkle with garlic, pepper, and salt. Drizzle with olive oil and give the whole a stir.

To serve, top the quinoa with the grilled veggies. Quinoa has a lot of protein, but it has a fairly mild or bland flavor and needs seasoning. This spicy dish can serve either as a side dish or as a main if you are vegetarian.

Note:

Jalapeno or serrano would be just fine as milder peppers to sub for the hot chili and habanero. Use a pretty colorful mix of bell peppers if you just can't stand the hot kind. I used the peppers in the recipe because that was what was ready in the garden! The quinoa seemed to cut the heat a bit which was great as that was one HOT Habanero!