Broccoli Quinoa Sweet Tater Hash

Listen, before we get too far into this post I just want to let you know that I cannot spell broccoli.  I mean...obviously I just spelled (or spelt, if you will) it right there, but that's because I had to Google it to make sure.  Sometimes I subtract a C, or add an L....anyways...it shouldn't be so tricky to spell a damn vegetable.

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite meatless meals or side dishes.  I make some version of this almost weekly.  I found the original recipe via a Takepart website at least a year ago, and since then, I have made a few minor tweaks to make it rather fantastic and yet...still healthy. So let us begin with the players shall we?

The three stars here are the broccolli (see what I did there...extra L), the sweet potato, and the quinoa.  If you have never had quinoa, now is probably the time to jump on the bandwagon before it is overfarmed and ruins the country from which is comes (don't research it...let's just pretend we know nothing).   Quinoa is basically the seed of a grain like crop and it is super high in fiber, protein, and magnesium.  It is also gluten free.  It doesn't really have a lot of flavor, although I know some people say it is a little "nutty".  It comes in at least three colors, but I prefer the red because it makes a pretty color medley on your plate when you add the green and the orange.  You boil 1 cup of quino with 2 cups water, but to add a little more flavor, I boil mine in chicken broth or homemade chicken stock.

Then there is the brocolli (mmhmm...the possibilities on how to misspell brockoli are endless).  Up until 3ish years ago, I had never had broccoli and didn't think I ever would.  I STILL do not like it raw, and like to steam mine for...oh...8-10 minutes. But however you like your broccoli, it will be find with this recipe.  The origianl recipe actually calls for it raw.  Whatever makes you happy.

And then there are the sweet taters.  Now, I am from the Midwest, so while there was, on occasion, sweet potato pie served instead of delicious pumpkin, and every once in awhile I would stumble upon a sweet potato casserole somewhere other than my house...sweet potatoes were never part of my diet either.  Well, after I found this recipe, I saute them almost weekly.  They are a wonderful stand alone side. Just make sure when you are dicing them up, you try to keep your "cubes" similar in size, that way they cook evenly.  And one sweet potato goes a long way.  I dice mine up, throw it in a nonstick skillet with some EVOO and salt and pepper and saute over a medium low heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Then, I throw in half a diced onion, minced or diced garlic, a generous shake of the red pepper flake container, and cover, stirring often, until they are tender enough for your liking.  Just don't let them get too soft for this recipe because when you stir everything together, they can turn into mashed sweet taters.

True story.

SO basically you cook the three components, seasoning as you wish with what you wish (dill is a nice addition to the sweet potatoes), and then mix everything together and whalah...dinner is ready.  Heather likes to put hot sauce or pepper sauce on top of hers.  If you like things a little more spicy.

Broccoli Quinoa Sweet Tater Hash

• 1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled, diced
• 1/2 sweet or yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 tablespoons diced garlic
• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to your liking
• 1-2 heads of steamed broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup uncooked quiona, cook according to the directions on container
• 2 cups water or chicken broth for boiling quinoa

This makes pretty generous amount of food.  I would dare to say 6-8 servings (if we are talking side dish instead of your main meal).

Hope you enjoy!  It can look very fancy but it's pretty simple!

xoxo