Quinoa with Vegetables and Mango

Quinoa with Vegetables.  Admittedly, this sounds a little bit boring.  But please, give it a chance!  This side dish packs a punch, with colors, flavors and nutrition.  Quinoa contains all 8 amino acids (a complete protein) as well as being plain high in protein.  Add some colorful vegetables, and you've got side dish to be reckoned with!  A couple weeks ago, I made plans to make dinner with a good friend, who admittedly used to be quite picky.  Somehow, during his time in grad school, he has managed to exchange the Spaghettio's for real food.  While this very much excites me, I'm still in a state of disbelief.  Our trip to the grocery store was the first step in my acceptance of my friend's new pallette.  "Will you eat quinoa?"  "Yes Anne, and you don't have to ask me that anymore.  I pretty much eat anything."  Alright...  We ended up sauteeing a bunch of lovely vegetables and tossing them with our quinoa and a near perfect mango.  This was accompanied by some jerk-seasoned grilled chicken and a simple but lovely salad.  A perfect summer supper in my book.  I made the quinoa again the following week, but was forced to omit the mango due to a shortage at the store.  My sister and I made up for it by adding a little tamari ginger dressing and a squeeze of orance.  Frankly, one could add pretty much any veggie desired, so feel free to take liberties!

Quinoa with Veggies and Mango

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
Handful of snow peas
1/2 smallish red onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cut into short strips
2 carrots, cut into thin pieces
1 mango, coarsly diced
1/4 cup San-J gluten free Tamari Ginger dressing
Juice of 1/2 an orange, or a whole lemon or lime

Directions

Begin by preparing your quinoa per the package instructions.  (some need to be rinsed prior to cooking)  while it is simmering away on the stove top, sautee your veggies.  The carrots will take the longest to cook, so start by adding them to a large pan with a splash of olive oil and cook over medium heat.  After about five minutes, go ahead and add the other vegetables, cooking until they are still just a little bit crunchy.  Then, add the quinoa and mango to the pan and gently fold it into the vegetables.  When everything is well incorporated, drizzle the dressing and juice over the mixture and stir to coat.  Your quinoa is ready to serve!  You can serve your protein on top of it, or use it as side.  Either way, it's a scene stealer. 
Serves 4-6