This stunning quinoa is one of my most asked-for recipes on Instagram, and my cookbook is the first place I’ve shared it—I hope you like it! Beet, miso, and a touch of clove add a sensuous, earthy quality to this quinoa in the happy company of creamy avocado, pecans, and fragrant charred peach and asparagus. Stone fruit is mostly sold underripe to protect it from bruising—a blast of heat brings its sweetness and softness out instantly. Char it with the asparagus in a dry pan or over a naked gas flame—a simple technique normally used to broil small green shishito peppers in Japan.
Red Velvet Quinoa Bento
Ingredients
- Scant 1 1/4 cups quinoa, washed and drained
- 1 medium beet, scrubbed and roughly chopped into small pieces
- 1 3/4 cups water, to cook
- 2 Tbsp brown rice miso paste
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves (or crumble top of 1 clove bud)
- A little finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1/2 slightly underripe peach or nectarine
- 3 to 4 asparagus stalks, woody ends removed
- A few little gem lettuce leaves
- 1/2 avocado, flesh scooped out or sliced
- 2 to 3 Tbsp toasted pecans
- 1/2 tsp tamari (optional)
- Squeeze of lime juice (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories674
- protein17g
- fat39g
- carbs72g
- sugar10g
- fiber17g
- sodium458mg
Directions
01
Make the red velvet quinoa: Place rinsed, wet quinoa in pan and toast over high heat, stirring frequently, until it looks dry and crackles a lot (itu2019s fine if it gets a little u201cburnt,u201d as this adds a good smoky flavor). Add beet and measured water for cooking, cover, and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until grains are soft and all water is gone, about 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk remaining quinoa ingredients together in large mixing bowl, add hot quinoa, and combine well. Let cool slightly before packing in bento and/or storage container with lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
02
Make the charred peach and asparagus: Option 1: Use very hot, dry skillet and press fruit (cut-side down) and asparagus onto skillet bottom with spatula for a few moments to char. Add splash of water, then quickly cover with lid for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Option 2: Place metal grid (I use an old oven rack) over stovetopu2019s biggest gas flame, and when metal is red hot, lower flame and use a utensil (something you donu2019t mind burning a little, like metal tongs) to press fruit and then asparagus onto rack for a few seconds to get grill marks. Reduce heat to lowest setting and allow produce to char for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to plate and let cool. Eat grilled produce on the day you prep it.
03
Assemble the bento: Arrange quinoa in one end of box (or in whole box if using a double-decker like in the image). Make bed of lettuce in remaining space and arrange avocado, peach or nectarine, and asparagus on top. Add pecans, either in divider or pocket made from parchment paper. If you want dressing, pour tamari and squeeze of lime juice into small leakproof container to take with you and drizzle over veggies later. Close box and pack in a bento bag or furoshiki (see bottom of p. 39) with dressing container and a fork or chopsticks.
Like this recipe?
This recipe is part of the These Bento Box Recipes Will Take Your Workday Lunches From “Meh” to Marvelous collection.
Sara Kiyo Popowa
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Fruity Tofu with Sweet Potato Wedges
Make no mistake, meaty grilled tofu, sweet flame-licked salsa, and chunks of crispy sweet potato make for a meal prepared in the great outdoors that puts the yum in plant-based eating. A master’s touch Perfect spuds: Crispy potatoes on the grill are a revelation. But it’s best to give them a head start on the stovetop, so the potatoes heat through before the exteriors grill to a burnt crisp. Flavourful tofu: Giving tofu a 90-degree turn on the grill halfway through cooking each side will produce a nice crosshatch pattern that makes you look like a grill master. Plus, those overlapping grill marks give tofu even better flavour.
Tex-Mex Taco Pizza
Combine pizza and taco night by firing up the grill. Sweet flame-licked onions, melty cheese, fiery salsa, hearty beans, and crispy flatbread crust all marry well in a no-fuss pizza that comes together fast enough to work within the confines of the weekday time crunch. Set up a work area near the grill so you have all your toppings within easy reach and ready to go. You can also use large Middle Eastern-style pitas for your base. Using store-bought pizza dough? If you want to go more traditional and use pizza dough, you can certainly stick with the grill. Stretch or roll pizza dough (about 1 lb/450 g) to roughly 1/2 in (1.25 cm) thick. It need not be perfectly round or square; it just has to be even thickness. Preheat grill to medium using indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one burner off; for a charcoal grill, shovel coals onto one side of the grill) and lightly oil grill grates. Brush one side of dough with oil, then place on grill in an area not directly over the heat, oil side down. Once dough is lightly charred and just barely set, about 1 to 2 minutes, use pizza peel or big, flat spatula to transfer it to a work surface, grilled side up. Apply toppings and return pizza to indirect heat. Close grill lid, and heat until edges of crust are crispy and cheese has melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
Beet Falafel Burgers with Dilly Tahini Sauce
If a falafel and burger had a love child, this would be it. The result of this hybrid is a vibrantly coloured, complex-flavoured veggie burger you’ll flip over. You can also serve them between toasted hamburger buns with toppings such as sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, and arugula. Holding it together Many plant-based burgers are crumbly and weak, risking a patty that ends up between the grill grates instead of intact on your plate. Keep your burgers together by forming patties no larger than 1 in (2.5 cm) thick, which ensures a nice, even crust on the outside and a thoroughly warmed-through centre, then chilling the patties before grilling. You can also consider using a burger mould, which gives you denser, equally sized patties that cook evenly. Be sure your grill grates are well greased. Deep freeze You can freeze uncooked falafel burgers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or plate and then transfer frozen patties to an airtight container. When ready, just thaw and cook as instructed. Falafel cooking options To bake: Arrange falafel on parchment-lined baking sheet and brush lightly with oil; bake at 375 F (190 C) for 25 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and heated through. To pan fry: Heat large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil (15 mL) for each 2 burgers in the pan, swirl to coat pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until underside is browned. Then flip carefully and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Grilled French Toast with Vanilla Scented Yogurt
Bet you’ve never considered making breakfast or Sunday brunch on the grill. Consider cooking your egg-soaked bread over flames as a way to coax even more flavour out of brag-worthy French toast. You can also use slices of brioche bread and whatever fruit happens to be in season. Of course, nobody could fault you for topping it all off with a drizzle of maple syrup. If you want it dairy free, you can use dairy alternatives such as oat milk and coconut yogurt. Not so fresh Somewhat stale bread is key to great French toast. You want it to be 2 to 3 days old. What if your bread isn’t aged enough? You can speed up the process by slicing bread and then placing it on a pan in 350 F (180 C) oven for about 10 minutes, or until it firms up. Make sure it’s sliced nice and thick to prevent the egg mixture-to-bread ratio being too heavy in favour of egg, resulting in soggy French toast.