Quinoa Veggie "Fried Rice"

Hi, friends! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are well, happy, and loved, wherever you are. It's great to take some time to appreciate those who love you--and if you don't have a Valentine this year, it's also a perfect time to enjoy the friends, family, and the other amazing things in your life that have nothing to do with romantic love, like your HEALTH! :)

I made this recipe two weeks ago, on February 1, and haven't had time to post it until today. I guess there ARE upsides to being sick on Valentine's Day! I used it for lunches for a week and have really loved it! More about that below.

I first saw this recipe on Damn Delicious (her food is BEAUTIFUL--if you haven't visited her site before, do yourself a favor and go have a look around.You'll be very happy there, I promise). It sounded fantastic and so healthy and hearty, which you know I love, so I pulled out the wok and got to work!

I recently started doing weekly meal prep, which is partially why I haven't been posting nearly as often as I used to. I've been taking Sunday afternoons to cook one to two recipes in portions big enough to make at least five to seven meals for the whole week. I use my meals for lunches, mostly, and it saves me so much time, not to mention MONEY, because I'm able to use all my fresh produce before it goes bad! This was one such meal, and I made some changes to accommodate the vegetables I had at home.

 This requires a little time to prep all the vegetables (chopping, shredding, etc.), but once the veggies are prepped, the rest goes very quickly! The eggs, mushrooms, and quinoa lend so much protein to this meal, I didn't miss meat for a minute! All the fresh veggies really pack a vitamin punch too, so you can eat this and feel confident that you're making a great choice for yourself. Look how gorgeous and colorful it is!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 1/2 bell pepper, sliced into strips (I used one half of each: red, yellow, and orange peppers)
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Sriracha or additional soy sauce for serving

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add eggs and fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 4-5 minutes, then add mushrooms, peppers, and broccoli. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes, then add the diced eggs.

Garnish with green onions or cilantro if you like, and serve immediately (or put in airtight containers for meal prep, like I did!)

Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 6 • Size: 1 cup • Calories: 402 • Fat: 12.2 g • Carbs: 58.5 g • Fiber: 7.4 g  • Protein: 15.7 g • Sugars: 3.7 g