Sauteed Veggie Medley with Cooked Quinoa

I love to follow a great recipe, but sometimes its fun to just experiment in the kitchen. I like to look at what I have on hand and create. For lunch today, I did just that. Here is what I came up with.

Sauteed veggie medley with cooked quinoa.

- 1 stalk of celery, sliced

- 1/4 cup purple cabbage, sliced

- 1 cup broccoli, chopped

- 1/2 zucchini, diced

- 1/4 cup baby spinach

- 5-6 cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced into thirds

- 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- dash of shoyu

- sprinkle of garlic powder

- 1 tbsp safflower oil

Heat safflower oil in the pan on medium heat. Add garlic, saute for 2 minutes or so. Add zucchini, celery, broccoli, and cabbage. Add a bit of garlic powder to your preference. Saute lightly over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add tomatoes, saute for 2-3 minutes longer. Add quinoa and blend everything together. Add spinach add cook until wilted. Finish off with a splash of shoyu.

You may be wondering, "what is quinoa?" I discovered this grain when I became a vegetarian as it is high in protein and super healthy. I often cook a large batch of it early in the week and eat it as the week goes on. Here is some brief information about it:

Over 5000 years ago the Incas cultivated the grain-like seed quinoa as one of their staple crops. Quinoa, (pronounced keen-wah) when cooked, is light, fluffy, slightly crunchy and subtly flavored. But its flavor is only part of why quinoa is such an amazing "supergrain."
Some of the nutrients in quinoa include:

Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.

Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient.

Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber that eases elimination and tones your colon.

Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances.

Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn.