Gluten Free Quinoa Bake with Roasted Vegetables and Beef

Quinoa is the weirdest ingredient I have ever cooked with! It starts out the texture and consistency of couscous, but once it cooks it kind of separates.

It has a nutty flavor which is slightly sweet and yummy. It paired nicely with the beef and the roasted vegetables really enhanced the flavor. I had never tasted quinoa until this dish. I frequently heard about it on health food shows and in diet books and stuff--it's supposed to be really good for you.

So, I've been wanting to try it for a while. I'll admit, I'm pleasantly surprised by it. It's not a common ingredient, although, I do think I'll be making it more often and finding more way to dress it up and more things to pair it with. This dish was simply roasted tomatoes, roasted red onions, roasted red peppers, fried beef that was then roasted and roasted garlic.

I cooked the quinoa on the stove like rice or couscous and then forked through some tomato paste before adding the roasted ingredients and mixing. Simple, easy, and delicious! Perfect for the middle of a long week when you're tired and want something quick and tasty that it's not going to be fattening! Look out for the next entry where I discuss what quinoa is in detail, it's properties and what makes it so good for you. :)