Vegetable Quinoa Bowl with sweet peanut sauce

Confession. I love eating dinner in front of the t.v. Always have and always will. Every week or so I ask John if we can eat once Caleb's down. It is my guilty pleasure and my favorite way to veg. I do try to at least make a good meal for these occasions so it isn't too white trash.

I was really excited to try this dinner. The recipe evolved because instead of sweet chili sauce I used hot chili sauce. In an effort to save my mouth I changed the recipe slightly. I also wanted to swap out of the chicken for something else. The other thing is I hate hate hate raw carrots. I am all around not a huge carrot person but I can only eat them cooked or in a smoothie. So that is how this came to be. Still very yummy, very healthy and in our case very very spicy.


1 c uncooked quinoa
3 chopped carrots
1 chopped red pepper
1/3 c. shelled edamame
1/4 c. chopped green onions
1/3 c. chopped peanuts
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Sauce
2 T hot chili sauce
1 1/2 T rice vinegar
2 T canned coconut milk (I used light)
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. natural peanut butter (I used homemade and as always it was amazing!)
2 T soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lime, juice
1/8 t ground ginger

Cook quinoa according to directions.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce.

Heat 1 T. grape seed oil in skillet or wok (olive oil isn't great for stir fry because it can't take the heat canola is the best alternative if you don't have grape seed). Stir fry onions and carrots about three minutes (again I hate crispy carrots-if you like them then go for less time). Add pepper, edamame and peanuts. Stir fry for another 3-5 minutes until desired crispiness (or not crispiness :) Add sauce for last minute of cooking. Coat vegetables with sauce as it thickens. Serve veggies on top of quinoa, top with cilantro.

Easy peasy, but seriously so yummy! This was pretty hot, so if you don't like hot cut back on the chili sauce. Remember you can always add more, but you can't take away.