Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sriracha, sambal olek, or your favorite Asian hot sauce
- 1 bunch of rainbow or red chard
- 2 tablespoons unrefined extra-virgin coconut oil
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- Hemp or sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions
1. In a medium lidded saucepan, combine the quinoa, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and pearly. Uncover, remove from the heat, and fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the tamari, lime juice, and hot sauce.
3. Separate the thick chard stems from the leaves and finely chop. Stack the leaves on top of one another and roll up like a cigar. Thinly slice into ½-inch ribbons.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Sauté the shallots and chard stems until they begin to soften and caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the chard leaves and stir-fry until wilted and soft, another 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Fold in the quinoa and stir-fry until everything is evenly distributed and the quinoa is beginning to toast, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tamari, lime juice, and hot sauce mixture and remove from the heat.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with hemp or sesame seeds for more fiber.
HEALTHY HEDONIST TIPS
Fried rice (even if you’re not using actual rice) is best with stale, day-old grains. The drier they are, the more flavor they’ll soak up without getting mushy. You can prepare the quinoa the night before, or make this recipe with 3 cups of leftover cooked grains, beginning at step 2. If you’re the type of person who orders too much takeout, this would also be a great way to use up that half-eaten carton of brown rice and make you feel better about the previous day’s food choices.
MARKET SWAPS
Any leafy green would work in this recipe: arugula, kale, collards, beet greens. If you’re an omnivore or a v-egg-an, feel free to add 2 beaten eggs, like in a traditional fried rice recipe, at the end of step 4. Push the grains to the sides of the wok to form a well. Add the eggs to the center and scramble until set. Stir everything together, being careful not to overly break apart the omelet.
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