Are you looking for a great, quinoa based easy vegetable stir fry ? Or for a warm protein dense (21g! ) entree salad with quinoa and chicken? Or for a meatless buddha bowl option? Simply a great recipe for a healthy meal ? This recipe ticks all the boxes! I made it first time a few weeks ago and had some “encore” requests ! My kids already put it on their favorite things list! I made it first time with Trader Joe’s garlic chicken sausage, and second time with chicken: both were very popular. Best part is, it makes for great leftovers!

Easy colorful, Healthy, Quick and Filling quinoa Stir Fry

Versatile

It can be vegetarian or vegan, or include all types of foods: seeds (quinoa), legumes (lentils), vegetables and meat (chicken). It is filling and nutrient dense, non-toxic and clean, anti inflammatory and fresh, made from scratch. Not even your beans come from a can ! Also, it is very quick to make, and kids friendly . The whole family will enjoy it !

• This meal can be a whole meal or side dish, depending on how you serve your protein. It can also become a warm entree salad !
• Great leftovers for lunch to-go, or at breakfast along fried eggs.

I call it quinoa stir fry, even though I don’t really “fry” it, I just mix ingredients in a sillet on low heat. It’s like an entree salad, only warm, but it would also taste great cold!

Perfect Steamed Cooking Recipe

This recipe is perfect to teach steam cooking: it teaches you:

• How to cook quinoa in a steam cooker – easy and always perfectly cooked, fluffy quinoa ! Basically, it cooks the same as if you were boiling it, except is always a success, does not boil vitamins. Besides, you barely have to watch.
• How to prepare orange lentils so it’s easy on your digestive system,
• and how to steam veggies and chicken.
• It’s also an idea for a new taste combination !

It’s a quick lunch option:

IF make this meal for lunch when I have quinoa leftovers, all I have left to do is to quickly steam veggies ( 10 minutes including heating the steamer), steam the chicken ( 7 minutes). Then I just mix and dress all ingredients in a warm skillet on low heat for 5-10 minutes max. Total time, 25 minutes,  and 15 more if you have to cook quinoa.

If you need to plan ahead

Make more quinoa the day before with another meal. Soak the lentils one to a few hours ahead ( it takes 2 minutes) -This the only thing I really “plan” ahead when I make that lunch.

Nutritional value 

All ingredients are fresh or dried. By using the gentle steam cooking method, they also are detoxed and keep a max of nutrients from steaming. Indeed steaming cooks at temperature under the boiling point (205°F vs 212°F for boiling). By keeping the heat low under your sauté pan, your veggies and good fats ( extra virgin olive oil) do not heat and burned ( extra virgin olive oil).

You can judge how nutrient dense your produce is by how vibrant their colors remain after cooking them. Just have a look at these pictures and that will give you an idea. Color also shows you how intact your meal’s fibers have remained, i.e. wether your meal’s glycemic index has risen or not. The longer you cook, the softer your produce, the weaker its color, and the less fiber remain intact. Therefore, the glycemic index has risen by a lot, and the nutrition density has lowered ( see this article that explains what factors impact the glycemic index of potatoes, and the cooking method is mentioned as one).

This meal also includes one of my favorite fresh, nutrient dense herbs: parsley. Parsley is rich in calcium has 7% of your calcium daily needs in one bunch of aout 60 grams in a high absorbable form. It is also contains 20% of iron daily needs ( although plant iron isn’t absorbed as easily). Let’s not forget the healthy spices like cumin (5% of calcium daily needs in 1 tablespoon!) Finally, it is high in protein ( lentils, quinoa, chicken), fibers and vitamins ( fennel, herbs, onions and other veggies), and healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil).

Special grocery store list: organic cumin, 

Ingredients

The ingredient list includes dry quinoa, dry orange lentils you will soak, fresh fennel, fresh carrots, green peas, shallot, bunch parsley, extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, fresh garlic, chicken breast or garlic sausage, salt and pepper.

A few specifics about ingredients:

• Cup of dry quinoa: steamed in a stainless container for 15 minutes in your food steamer in 1.5 volume water. Heat in an electric kettle at 160F to speed up cooking ! Cook time 15 minutes.
• Dried orange lentils need to be soaked for 1 to 2 hours in water ( this one goes fast!)
• Fennel and green peas ( thawed) need 5 minutes to steam. Shallots needs 3 minutes, 1/2 inch sliced carrots need 6 minutes
• Organic ground cumin. If you use cumin a lot, I suggest you buy it in bulk from an amazing wholesaler: Frontier coop ! It’s great quality and has amazing taste!
• 1 to 2 chicken breast are sliced in 1/3 inch thick and need to be salted on both sides. Wait 5-10 minutes before cooking: salt helps the meat to sweat out toxins and fats.
• Optional: green onions, diced bell pepper, gives sweetness

Make the meal it in 6 simple Steps

Prep: In the morning or one-two hours ahead: Place lentils into a bowl with water to soak. Soaking gets rid of anti nutrients, enhances digestion and nutrient uptake. If your chicken is frozen, thaw them the day before.

1. Heat the steam cooker: on high heat, with 2 to 2.5 inches water. Heat water in your electric kettle. Pour into the tank . Turn on high heat and wait for it visibly steam.

2. Meanwhile rinse your dried quinoa ( 3 times to remove naturally occurring pesticides) in a stainless steel bowl. Quinoa needs 15 minutes to cook. And steaming won’t boil off as many precious nutrients!  You can steam your quinoa ahead of time, or cook larger volume ahead of time and use leftovers.

3. Place the sliced vegetables in the hot steamer basket and cover.  

4. While veggies are cooking, slice the chicken and sprinkle some salt on both sides. I helps chicken sweat out fats and toxins. Then replace lentils’ soaking water with warm water (160°F is enough, to warm it up). Orange lentils are very thin and don’t need much cooking, or they get soggy and lose all their fibers and flavor. Personally, I love them crunchy. TIP: If you have trouble digesting legumes, go with a little bit at first and increase every time with a little tiny more. Lightly cooked beans are more fibers, but tend to bloat less than if they are cooked a long time, which raises the Glycemic index and makes it a high FODMAP item.

5. Place your sauté pan on the stove and warm it up on low heat. Dress the pan then transfer veggies onto the skillet and place the chicken in the steamer basket, cover. Cook the chicken for 7 minutes. Open the lid twice to mix the chicken so all sides of the pieces can cook.

6. In the skillet, add to the veggies, 3 to 4 cups of cooked quinoa, the drained lentils, and chopped parsley. Once the chicken is cooked, place it in the skillet as well. Mix all ingredients, then salt. In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients, mix with a spoon, then pour the dressing over the skillet. Mix again. Decorate with more chopped parsley. Serve warm!

Note: I use low heat, so it is “fried” only to mix and keep warm, dress, and let ingredients mix together for 5 minutes.. High heat destroys nutrients and burns oils, therefore I avoid it.

Other versions

Other dressing options: Serve with coconut aminos and turmeric sauce, and swap fennel with steamed broccoli (5′), mini bok choy, sliced and steamed 2 minutes, snow peas ( steamed 2 minutes) or zucchini (steamed 4′). It tastes great too changes the meal color, food a different color which kids LOVE !

The dressing recipe: 1.5 tsp turmeric, 3 tbsp coconut aminos ( Trader joe’s) or soy sauce ( Tamari is gluten free) , 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp salt.

As You can see, steam cooking is quick and very versatile ! 

Tip: you can find fermented version of soy sauce or Tamari, which I assume are easier to digest for people sensitive to beans and soy. I never tried them, but it’s on my list.

Equipment Needed to cook this meal

• Food steamer: I use the Vitaliseur. This is truly the best food steamer out there in my opinion. I own mine 15 years and my own mother used it 15 years before. You can purchase it from France without sales tax with code “steamedcuisine”. Learn more about this steamer and why it’s my favorite here.
• Stainless steel bowl: Although they are great ceramic bowls options out there, I avoid these because they are breakable (and I have kids!) Besides, I prefer stainless steel 18/10, the safest of the kind. Stainless steel is more heat sensitive and allows grain to cook faster in it. A great choice out there is the Rösle brand a German brand that sells many sizes. The 1.7 qt size is ideal to cook grain ( for smaller quantities pick 0.74 qt). It’s excellent quality brand, and will last you a lifetime. I own several stainless steel bowls for my varying grain needs.
• Bowl grabber to grab the quinoa bowl from the steamer basket without burning yourself.
• Skillet or sauté pan (stainless steel or cast iron are safest, granite if safe unless scratched because it can leak aluminum in food);
• Wooden spoon;
• Garlic mincer.

Easy Colorful Quinoa Stir Fry Recipe

More healthy meals recipes?

• Fried rice, better, more colorful and more nutrient dense than regular fried rice! If you are interested , stay tuned: I will try a quinoa fried rice recipe soon and post it here. Sign up to my newsletter and you’ll be pinged when it comes out! I SIGN UP!
• Warm cabbage and rice noodles stir fry, with creamy sesame oil, garlic and almond butter dressing;
• Southwest Quinoa Salad With Steamed Beans
• Pineapple Chicken over Basmati Rice
• Gentle Steam Cooking Guide to Healthy Coconut Mango Chicken
• Greek Quinoa Entree Salad – A classic with a twist !
• Kale & Quinoa Lemony Goodness salad