Wow, did this dish ever exceed my expectations. It was YUMMY. With the Quinoa and Yams I also used cooked Mung Beans - a powerhouse of nutrition in a small bean. This is a dish that would be great for lunch or dinner - served at room temperature. It will get even better the next day. Next time I make this dish, I will make the Quinoa, Mung Beans and the Yam a day ahead of time to have on hand - then it will be super easy to put this dish together after a long day at work!
3/4 cup mung beans
1 large orange yam - 1 lb in weight
1 large bay leaf
1/2 cup of Quinoa
3 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. diced Anaheim pepper (or more if you like heat...I am a wimp when it comes to heat, & what I will do with the rest of a large Anaheim pepper, I have no idea!)
1 rounded tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried garlic powder
cilantro
1/2 cup water
Toppings:Â minced cilantro, diced tomatoes, yogurt, salsa (chopped avocado would also be a nice addition)
First cook the Mung beans: add the beans to a medium sized sauce pan and cover with at least 2-3 inches of water and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lid on, and turn down to a simmer - cooking about 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain through a sieve removing the bay leaf and set aside.
To 1/2 cup of Quinoa add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, lid on and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 min. then fluff with a fork and set aside.
Scrub the Yam, poke some holes into it with a fork, wrap it in tin foil and bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour. (it will not be cooked through at this point. Remove from the oven and open up the tin foil, allowing to cool until it can be handled to peel.)
Chop the Yam into 1/2 inch or so pieces and set aside. Heat up a large cast iron pan with the EVOO. My pan takes about 6 minutes to heat thoroughly on medium high heat. Add the yams and cook each side about 6 minutes until nicely golden brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to low, and add in the chopped onion, pepper and minced garlic. Saute about 10 minutes until the onions begin to show a little color. Add in the cumin, garlic powder, salt and smoked paprika continue to saute about 3 more minutes.
Add the cooked mung beans, quinoa, yams and 1/2 cup of water, stir to mix well. Check for seasonings. Add a huge handful of chopped cilantro and serve right away with the toppings.
Ina, this bowl recipe looks absolutely amazing with its colors and textures! I'm sure it's delicious!
Sharing. 🙂
Shirley
Thanks Shirley...it was indeed yummy! Easy to put together too. 🙂
Super yummy versatile dish Ina! And so colorful too.
grtz Linda
Thanks Linda...it was yummy for sure! 🙂
This is the sort of dinners that we eat often,..I love my quinoa. I love to eat this alone of with some roasted fish on the side! double yum! x
Sophie - we loved it too, we have been having this dish once a week! 🙂