GREEN BEAN MUSHROOM FINGERLING POTATO QUINOA PLATE

We've been so blessed lately with this awesome weather, great family dinners, play time with friends and kids and our health. Tod's 30km + runs have been improving and he has been finding that he is feeling better and better every run, which is sooo great to hear. I have been lucky enough to find sitters (thank you family!) so I can work out 3 days a week. I am feeling so pumped for summer. We planned one family vacation for the summer and one for fall. Tod is super busy with work (running his own company) and I am happy staying in town with the kids, going to the beach, taking them for bike rides and playing in the back yard. And with all that play time who wants to make some elaborate fancy dinner? I just want to throw food in pans, add seasoning and eat! We always start our dinner meals with a large garden salad. I'd say we each eat 2 cups of mixed greens and veggies like carrots, cauli, cuke, broc, & cherry tomatoes. I like red onion on mine and I always use this dressing. 

What to do. Look in the fridge to see what you have to work with. I had green beans, fingerling potatoes, and mushrooms. I always keep my pantry well stocked, full of brown rice, couscous, red & white quinoa and a rice-quinoa blend. Today, since we haven't eaten quinoa in a LONG time I decided it was a red quinoa night. I grabbed my favourite flavours to work with - garlic and onion and got chopping.

I decided to bake the fingerling potatoes, coated in garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and Mrs. Dash seasoning. I fried the mushrooms with spicy Mrs. Dash and in a separate pan I fried the chopped garlic, red onion and green beans with a small bit of water and seasoning.

I always cook my quinoa like I would brown rice but I add a tad bit more filtered water and it always turns out perfect!

GREEN BEAN MUSHROOM FINGERLING POTATO QUINOA PLATE
Serves 3

Ingredients

• 10 fingerling potatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 3 tsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning - original

• 1 cup red or white quinoa 
• 2 1/2 cups filtered water for quinoa

• 1 cup chopped green beans, ends chopped off and cut in half
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced and cut in half
• Mrs. Dash seasoning - original
• 5 tsp. filtered water

• 5 large crimini mushrooms, sliced
• Mrs. Dash seasoning - spicy blend (optional)

• coconut oil for frying & baking

Garnish

• nutritional yeast
• celtic sea salt
• chia seeds
• red onion, chopped (optional)

What to do

1. Preheat oven to 425° F (218 ° C). Melt 5 tbsp. coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add the cut potatoes and stir into the melted coconut oil so they are evenly coated. Add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and Mrs. Dash seasoning and stir. Add potatoes to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes. Turning potatoes half way through. Once they are done turn off the oven and let sit in the oven until quinoa is ready.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium sized pot and turn on to high heat. Once the water boils, turn down to low and set the timer for 25 minutes. Once the timer goes, turn off heat, fluff quinoa with a fork and let the quinoa sit an extra 5 minutes, covered.

3. In the pan you just used for the potatoes, add the chopped garlic and cut red onion. Place green beans on top, add filtered water and top with seasoning. Cover. Have heat on medium low. Cook for 10 minutes. Checking often. Cook so garlic and onions are soft and green beans are crunchy and lightly cooked. 

4. In a separate pan, add 1/2 tsp. coconut oil and let melt on low heat. Add sliced mushrooms. Fry until soft, usually around 10 minutes. Add spicy seasoning.

5. Once everything has finished cooking, add it all to plates, garnish and serve!