Having nutritious, low-calorie lunches prepared ahead of time for work is crucial for me. I have learned this the hard way. (I talk about my work lunch disasters in this post.) And quinoa with veggies is one of my very favorite things to prepare on a Sunday for the week ahead.
You can use whatever veggies you like and/or have on hand. I always use carrots, green beans, kale, baby bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic and shallots.
Now, let’s talk about golden beets for a minute. They have a milder taste than red/purple beets; I’d never had the golden ones before and only bought them because Sprouts didn’t have any other kind. They’re scrumptious when they’ve been roasted and salted, and for this dish I even used the greens. Delicious.
THE DETAILS:
You’ll need: the veggies you want to use, a couple of cloves of garlic, 1 large shallot, 1 cup of dry quinoa, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of oregano, salt & pepper to taste
If you’re going to include beets: cut the greens off, scrub the beets well (with a veggie scrubber like this one), wrap them in foil, and roast them at 400 for 40ish minutes.
While the beets are roasting, start cooking the quinoa, and clean and cut up the rest of the veggies.
Begin to heat a large pan on medium; throw in some olive oil and about a tablespoon of water.
I put the harder veggies (the green beans & carrots) in first, so they have enough time to soften up. (I keep the lid on the pan for the part of the time so the veggies heat evenly and some moisture is preserved.)
After about ten to fifteen minutes, add the rest of the veggies and the chopped up garlic and shallot, along with a tablespoon of oregano (and salt & pepper to taste).
Once the quinoa is done, stir it into the veggie mix. When the beets are done, chop them up and stir them in, as well.
Taste a bite to see if the veggies are soft enough, and then divide it into 4 containers for work (1 cup of dry quinoa makes 4 servings).
I’ve never tried this before, but I think kalamata olives would be amaze-balls in this dish.
Let me know what you think if you decide to make it! 
