Red Quinoa and Pork Bowls

Do you have leftover pork from the holidays? Try this healthy Red Quinoa Bowl with Pork and Vegetables for lunch or a light dinner.

So, here’s the dilemma. You made a crazy ginormous piece of pork and find yourself with enough leftovers to feed an infantry. What to do? This Red Quinoa Bowl with Pork and Vegetables is the remedy and the cure. Really, it is! I promise (straight face promise). Around the holidays it isn’t unusual to find oneself with lots of extra helpings of protein. So, whether it’s a boat load of pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, this recipe idea will make short work and help decrease the leftover blues.

In our case, we had a truckload of extra pork. It was good pork, and we couldn’t in good conscience just part with it and toss er’ out.  So, the next day for lunch I made some wonderful (and colorful) red quinoa bowls. I also used some thinly sliced acorn squash. This was my first year growing acorn squash, and I was excited to finally have a chance to use them in a recipe. The joys of being a gardener, right? I also mixed baby spinach and carrots and sautéed them with a bit of minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil. That’s it; that’s all. It all came together quite nicely if I do say so myself, and I most certainly say so. In the end, this was a quick, super yummy, and dare I say “healthy” lunch option? For the complete recipe check it out down below.

Red Quinoa Bowl with Pork and Vegetables Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic red quinoa
• 2 cups of organic chicken stock
• 2 pounds leftover pork loin
• 2 cups acorn squash thinly sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup shoestring carrots
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt or kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: Indian-spiced yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190 °F and warm pork. Just before serving, cut pork into thin slices.
2. Prepare red quinoa according to package instructions ( I substituted organic chicken stock for water).
3. Thinly slice acorn squash using a large mandolin slicer.
4. In a medium skillet over med-high heat add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO, when the oil is hot add sliced acorn squash.
5. Allow the squash to get slightly brown along the edges, turn over and cook for an additional two minutes. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
6. Place baby spinach, shoestring carrot, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until mixture in combined.
7. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1/2 tbsp EVOO. Over med-high heat allow the oil to get hot. Add baby spinach, carrots, and garlic mixture and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
8. Slice pork into thin slices.
9. Spoon red quinoa into a bowl, add sliced pork, sliced acorn squash, and spinach, carrots, and garlic.
10. Add Indian-spiced yogurt if desired.
11. Serve.

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5 from 1 vote

Red Quinoa, Veggie & Pork Bowl

Author Alea

Ingredients

• ▢ Ingredients:
• ▢ 1 cup Organic Red Quinoa
• ▢ 2 cups of Organic Chicken Stock
• ▢ 2 lbs Leftover Pork Loin
• ▢ 2 cups Acorn Squash thinly sliced
• ▢ 4 cups Baby Spinach
• ▢ 1/2 cup Shoestring Carrots
• ▢ 2 large cloves of Garlic
• ▢ 2 1/2 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ▢ Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• ▢ Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 190 °F and warm pork, just before serving cut pork into thin slices.
• Prepare red quinoa according to package instructions ( I substituted organic chicken stock for water).
• Thinly slice acorn squash using a large mandolin slicer.
• In a medium skillet over med-high heat add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO, when the oil is hot add sliced acorn squash.
• Allow the squash to get slightly brown along the edges, turn over and cook for an additional two minutes. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
• Place baby spinach, shoestring carrot, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until mixture in combined.
• Wipe the skillet clean and add 1/2 tbsp EVOO. Over med-high heat allow the oil to get hot. Add baby spinach, carrots, and garlic mixture and pan-fry for 3-4 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
• Slice pork into thin slices.
• Spoon red quinoa into a bowl, add sliced pork, sliced acorn squash, and spinach, carrots, and garlic.
• Add Indian spicy yogurt. (optional)
• Serve.

More Quinoa Recipes:

5 Bean Quinoa Soup

Chicken Quinoa Salad

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Broccoli and Quinoa Salad

How to Cook Quinoa: 3 Easy Methods