Quinoa bowl

I recently got an email suggesting all sorts of new cookbooks, most of which were vegan and gluten-free. I used to buy cookbooks on a whim, but now I'm more selective (due to financial and spatial constraints), so I checked out most of the list from the library. Can we talk for a minute about the Hennepin County Public Library? I cannot say enough good about this library system. It is AMAZING! Thank you, wonderful HCPL! They have an amazing selection, a fantastic Interlibrary Loan system (way better than the one at the U, FYI), and FREE use of incredible databases. Unbelievable! I.love.this.library.

Anyway, OK, I altered a recipe from The Conscious Cook, which is a very pretty cookbook (tons of photos) but slightly more "chef-y" than I like (e.g., he uses ring molds and things for plating. Plating!). Still, there are many delicious-looking recipes in the book and I'm excited to make a few.

This was supposed to be a quinoa, avocado, and sweet potato timbale with roasted tomatillo dressing, but turned into a bowl of quinoa + yam + the dressing.


1) Make some quinoa.

2) Cut up a sweet potato (I used a yam) into small cubes and saute in a little coconut oil until crispy.

3) Roast 2 tomatillos (10 minutes or so in a 375 oven). Combine tomatillos, 3 T. olive oil, 1 T. rice vinegar, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, and 1 t. light agave nectar (and salt and pepper) in a blender. Process until smooth.

4) Combine everything in a bowl! Add fried tortilla strips, avocado, etc., if you want.

(Apologies for the terrible photo. I am keeping true to my bad photography on both blogs!)