Quinoa with Roasted Broccoli, Leeks and Chopped Almonds

Quinoa with Roasted Broccoli, Leeks & Chopped Almonds

On my fifth day of my cleanse, where I can only eat solid food at lunch and I've been in a rut. I knew only one thing could cure me: quinoa.

My love and companion in the kitchen. Each time I boil the water and drop the grain into the bubbles, happiness seeps into my body and I'm ready to cook. I honestly can't describe how much I adore the nutty deliciousness that quinoa brings to my meals. If you aren't a convert yet, I can guarantee this recipe will shove you (nicely of course) in that direction.

This dish in inspired by my favorite gluten-free blogger, Karina Allrich, the Gluten Free Goddess. She honestly has the most fantastic vegan, vegetarian, gluten and dairy free foods on earth. Her baked goods are to die for. She used brussel sprouts and raisins in her recipe.

Unfortunately, I did not have brussel sprouts on hand and I can't eat raisins on the Clean Program so I needed to make some tweaks. When I opened my fridge for inspiration, there sitting in front of me was a bag of fresh, locally grown, organic broccoli from the Farmer's Market. Does it get any better than that? I think not. Fresh ingredients are the essence of this dish.

Crispy browned broccoli florets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli
• Handful of raw almonds, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp champagne vinegar
• 3 tbsp champagne vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

Start your quinoa, setting 2 cups of water to boil in a small sauce pan, adding the quinoa and reducing to a simmer. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking toss your broccoli, leeks and almonds in the olive oil. Spread the ingredients on a baking sheet and let roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Make sure to watch them carefully and flip them over when the broccoli begins to brown.

Roasted Veggies Broccoli, Leeks & Chopped Almonds

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a bowl. Add your veggies and drizzle the vinegar over the top, tossing to combine all the ingredients. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Fluff and serve. Please enjoy this yummy dinner. The crispiness of the vegetables, mixed with the soft lushness of the quinoa and the crunchiness of the almonds brings this dinner to the top of my list. It may be one of my best recipes yet!

Just as a side note, I had to share this with you all. This is what I was cooking to this evening. An amazing, stunning, breath-taking sunset over Lake Champlain. I seriously love Vermont (and our new apartment).

Sunset over Lake Champlain