Vegetarian Recipe Week

So here is the first of several Vegetarian recipes I am going to be posting to give you an idea of what kind of gross stuff we're eating around here nowadays. This one is a winner:

Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry

This recipe is from the book Veganomicon (but with some of my own adaptations to make it easier for me to prepare it).

Quinoa:

1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup cold water

1/4 tsp soy sauce

Stir-fry:

4 oz cashews

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 scallions, sliced thinkly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup frozen green peas or cooked edamame

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds

10 oz fresh or canned pineapple, cut into bite-size chunks (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable stock

Prepare the quinoa first: I just cook the quinoa, juice, water, and soy sauce in a rice cooker, then refrigerate for a few hours. This makes it easy to just throw everything in the skillet later in the day.

Prepare the stir-fry:
Use a large nonstick skillet - place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring them, until lightly toasted, 4-5 min.

Remove the cashews from the pan, raise the heat to medium, and add the peanut oil, scallions, and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 min, then add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry for another 3-4 min, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil, and stir for another min before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce and vegetable stock. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to incorporate completely and coat the quinoa. Continue to stir-fry 10-14 min, until the quinoa is very hot.