Lunch of Quinoa. Greens. Egg.
I just LOVE leftovers! They are always shared in our household and then ‘beefed’ up with pantry and fridge additions to make a wholesome lunch.
This lunch of Quinoa, Greens & Egg is super easy but highly nutritious. Quinoa is one of the only plant sources of complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make. Protein not only provides valuable amino acids for muscle repair and recovery but it also helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Adding bright green vegetables increases nutrients such as fibre and B-vitamins and the egg is wonderful source of choline for a healthy brain.
On Sunday, I cooked up a small pot of quinoa and a few boiled eggs to have on hand for the week ahead. We had some steamed broccoli leftover from Sunday’s dinner and silver beet growing in the garden so I simply mixed everything together with a simple homemade dressing for the ultimate lunch. Try it!
Lunch of Quinoa. Greens. Egg
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water or fresh chicken or vegetable stock
Pinch coarse iodised sea salt
1-2 cups steamed broccoli, cooled
1 cup finely chopped leafy greens such as spinach or silver beet
1-2 free-range eggs per person
Homemade Dressing
3 Tbspns extra virgin oil
1 Tbpsn pure maple syrup or melted honey
1 Tbspn wholegrain mustard
Juice of one lemon
Pinch iodised coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place quinoa, water and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer gently until all of the water in absorbed. Set-aside, cover and leave to cool. When ready to eat, fluff the quinoa with a fork! Store leftover cooked and cooled quinoa in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Boil the jug and fill another saucepan with boiling water. Lower the eggs in gently and simmer for ~8 minutes. While the eggs are cooking, top the saucepan with a steamer and steam the broccoli for about 2 minutes until bright green. Remove the steamer and run under cold water to stop the broccoli from cooking further. Set aside.
Once the eggs are cooked, drain and run under cold water. Leave to cool. Once cool, peel and slice in half.
To make the dressing simply place all of the ingredients in a small jar and mix. Store in the fridge.
To assemble:
Place ½-3/4 cup cooked quinoa per person into a bowl. Mix through cooked broccoli, finely chopped leafy greens and 1-2 teaspoons of homemade dressing. Place onto a serving plate and top with your egg. Yum!
Gluten-free (check stock), Dairy-Free, Vegetarian
