“Microwavable” Quinoa and Basmati Pilaf

Rice and Quinoa pilaf

My niece is on Spring Break from college, and we were talking about the access to good vegan food while living in student housing.  She said I was tantalizing her with recipes that she couldn’t make.  Poor hungry girl.  I admit, most of my recipes would be pretty hard to prepare without an oven.  :\

She needed nutritious and delicious food that could be made on a tight budget, with little effort.  So, she came over to my kitchen and helped me create a recipe for when she returns to her dorm.

This is a simple rice and quinoa blend with a creamy almond sauce.  It’s filling too.

The entire dish can be made with just a blender and a microwave, in about 25 minutes.  And, it boasts just 10 ingredients that most people will have in their pantry.  Okay, maybe not most people, but the ingredients are pretty common vegan staples.

The entire experience was also very helpful for me, because my oven actually broke the other day.  (Yes, I totally freaked out).  Happily, I have learned that it is  possible to cook quinoa and rice in a microwave; therefore, there is no need to panic if you are without a stove.

So, this post is dedicated to all of you wonderful readers -without ovens or rice cookers – who are hungry for a yummy home-cooked meal.

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Jeweled Basmati Rice

jeweled basmati rice

This is a simple and elegant dish that will work in just about any circumstance, whether it be a main dish, side dish, or holiday take along.  I was inspired by looking at some beautiful photographs of foods from Iran.  I love the color combination of the pistachios and cranberries, along with the lovely orange-y hue of the rice.  The good thing about this dish is that you can prepare all of the mix-ins while your rice cooks… so I would definitely classify this as a quick meal.  It took me about 35 minutes (using a rice cooker) to make it all come together, and my kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful.  This was the first time I tried anything remotely close to this, and it was so easy, I will be making this over and over again.

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