This Gal Cooks

Quick Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Tomatoes (Vegan)

Quick Quinoa Bowl with roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh thyme

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to try to use items that were in my pantry rather than buying new food ALL THE TIME. I was going to limit my trips to the grocery store to once per week. I’m happy to say that I have been sticking to those goals. I have only been to the grocery store twice during the past two weeks and I’ve been creating recipes and making meals using items that are already stocked in my pantry, like this quick quinoa bowl. I feel like I’ve made a great accomplishment and I’m very proud of myself for sticking to the new rules and goals that I’ve created for myself.

Another goal that I didn’t mention was to become more organized. First battle: my refrigerator. My refrigerator used to look like a hot mess. Containers, condiments, veggies and beer were packed into the fridge in an unorganized mess. I spent what seemed like hours (ok, exaggeration) looking for the leftover black beans or the bag of cilantro that I “knew” were somewhere in there. The neatly stocked refrigerators that I saw on numerous HGTV shows made me a little jealous. I want that fridge. I want my fridge to look like that. Look how nice that is. Can I have that?

Yes. Yes you can.

I went shopping at Target on Sunday, a day that the pyrex glass storage containers happened to go on sale. I bought a lot of those containers because I knew they would make my refrigerator look nice and tidy while storing leftovers and because I desperately wanted to break up with my collection of annoying tupperware containers. I also bought 3 refrigerator baskets to hold miscellaneous containers, condiments and beer. I spent Sunday afternoon organizing my refrigerator with my new toys. It time spent well and I was extremely happy with the finished product. I boasted many times to Ken about how good our refrigerator looks now. It doesn’t even look like the same refrigerator anymore. At least the inside doesn’t, anyways.

Quick Quinoa Bowl with roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh thyme

What I love about this quick quinoa bowl:

  • it’s easy to make.
  • it’s vegan.
  • it’s made using up pantry items that I had on hand. a little creativity went into it. ♥︎
  • it has a little crunch, thanks to the pine nuts.
  • it contains healthy fats, fiber and vegan protein.
  • it’s cholesterol free, low sugar and low sodium.
  • it’s under 500 calories for a generous serving.

Quick Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Tomatoes (Vegan)

Quick Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Tomatoes (Vegan)

Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 C cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 C roasted heirloom cherry tomatoes or regular cherry tomatoes (instructions for roasting in notes)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp evoo
  • Fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground pepper and kosher salt.

Instructions

  1. Place the quinoa in a serving bowl. Top with the tomatoes and then drizzle the tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with pine nuts and chopped fresh thyme. Sprinkle with generous portion of ground pepper and a little kosher salt.
  2. serving or split with a friend and serve with a salad.

Notes

To roast the tomatoes, place them in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in your oven and broil until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410 Total Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 39mg Carbohydrates: 46g Fiber: 7g Sugar: 4g Protein: 11g

Quick Quinoa Bowl with roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh thyme

 

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25 comments on “Quick Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Tomatoes (Vegan)”

  1. Okay, i am biased and anything out of a bowl I go gaga over- this looks SO good and those roasted tomatoes!

  2. Oh yummy! I am in love with this gorgeous looking quinoa and roasted tomatoes bowl. So much yes to this quick and easy bowl packed with good health.

  3. awesome job on cleaning out the fridge and investing on the glass containers! i did the same thing about 3 months ago and it had helped so much with my organization. i love simple meals like this that use up different items from the pantry. food waste is so prevalent, and its a great way to use things up instead of buying more. xo

    • It’s been over a week since I organized my fridge and I am still swooning over how nice and tidy it looks now. Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts, Amanda. <3

  4. What a great way to use what’s already in the pantry!

  5. Wow, this looks amazing! Love the idea of this kind of bowl for dinner. YUM.

  6. This looks fantastic! I love the idea of cleaning out your pantry before stocking it with new stuff.

    • It’s a great thing to do, especially when you have a tiny pantry like mine! Thank you for stopping by, Kelley.

  7. This bowl needs to appear now in my kitchen!!

    • Haha, I will make this appear in your kitchen if you make one of your cakes appear in mine. :)

  8. Ahhh I need to do the no grocery trips thing and clean out the pantry and freezer! Love this delicious option you came up with!

    • Thanks Julie! My pantry is already starting to look less cluttered since I set this new goal. :)

  9. Looks amazing! Even the meat lovers can take a break and enjoy this bowl. Thanks for joining the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!

  10. You are giving me some motivation to clean up my fridge and use up what is in the house too. I’ve been saying I need to do that forever. But have I done it. No.
    On to your recipe though, it looks delicious! I am a huge fan of roasted tomatoes…I love the flavor it brings out in them. My family would definitely like this. Thanks for the recipe! :) Pinning and sharing.

  11. Oh yum! This looks so incredible! Pinned and tweeted. We love partying with you and we appreciate you stopping by! Please take a minute to stop by next week, so we can pin and tweet your new creation. The party starts on Monday at 7 pm! Have a great Saturday! Lou Lou Girls

  12. Pingback: Vegan Savory Breakfast Oatmeal | small green kitchen

  13. This looks delicious and a great way to use up what you already had. Thank you for linking up at #HomeMattersParty and hope to see you again soon!