Sweet Potato Curry Quinoa

Happy New Year! I hope the first day of your 2013 has been especially sweet. Did you make any resolutions? If so, what are they? Personally, I'm a fan of New Year's Resolutions. Most of the time, I don't keep mine but, I feel like even if I make an effort and make small changes, that's progress, right? In another post, I might write about my plans for this year more in depth, the word I've chosen and what I'm believing for in 2013. It's time to dream big gals...because we can and there's no reason why we shouldn't!

Last night, we stayed in, put the kids to bed early and then celebrated the New Year, just the two of us. Does that make us boring parents? I hope not! It was nice, relaxing and much different than a few years ago, pre-kids. The Man made some delicious snacks for us and we played games, which just barely kept me awake until midnight. It must be a pregnancy thing because even coffee doesn't seem to work these days. I hadn't played Scrabble in years and I forgot how much I like it....and also how stressed out I get when it's my turn. I'm sure I apologized like 15 times for taking at least 5 minutes during each of my turns. 

To kick the new year off right, I made something totally new and different for dinner. I've been wanting to cook with Quinoa for awhile but, it's just been sitting in our pantry so, tonight I decided to take the plunge and give it a shot. Quinoa is a super healthy grain because it's extremely high in protein and fiber. We're going to be eating a lot more of this around here so, get ready to see more Quinoa recipes because they're on the way. 

So, if you're looking for a new, healthy recipe, here you go. We loved it!

Sweet Potato Curry Quinoa

Recipe adapted from Happyolks

1 cup quinoa

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium onion
1/4 cup butter
large handful of spinach
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup raisins
2 cloves garlic
fresh ginger
1/4 cup curry powder of choice
1 tsp sea salt

Scrub potatoes. With skins on, cut into 1″ cubes and lay out on a baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt. Bake at 475′ for 20 minutes. Combine two cups of water and one cup of quinoa in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 12-15 minutes until water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat.

Roughly chop onion and saute in a large saucepan with the butter until softened. Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the onions and saute for a bit longer, adding stock if it seems to stick to the pan. Remove from heat. Add sweet potatoes when they are just beginning to brown and crisp on the edges. Add a cup of stock and the curry powder, stirring to coat. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding stock, a bit of butter, and some salt to develop flavor. Add a large handful (or more) or spinach and toss to barely wilt.

Serve over a bed of quinoa and sprinkle with raisins.

♥ Angela