At this point in my blogging “career,” I think that it would come as no surprise to anyway who frequents my blog that I have a love for quinoa, peas, vegetarian “bacon,” and Laughing Cow cheese wedges. So, naturally, as my mind was wandering and thinking of new recipe ideas I thought, “why not combine some of my favorite ingredients into one warm and hearty dish?” The result?
Cheesy Quinoa ‘N Peas with “Bacon”
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable soup base
vegetable broth, for cooking
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Laughing Cow or Weight Watchers cheese wedges (I used the garlic and herb flavor)
3/4 cup unsweetened original almond or soy milk
2/3 cup frozen green peas
black pepper, to taste
2 slices vegetarian “bacon” (I used MorningStar Farms brand) or tempeh “bacon”, cooked and cut into crumbles
Directions
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Add 1 tsp of the vegetable soup base to the quinoa and water before cooking to add extra flavor.
2. Line a large skillet with a thin layer of vegetable broth. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower heat to medium and add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until the onions and peppers begin to soften.
3. Add cheese wedges and milk to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low and heat, stirring often, until the cheese melts and the sauce begins to thicken. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
4. Add frozen peas and cook an additional 5 minutes, continuing to stir frequently. Season with black pepper.
5. Add cooked quinoa to the pan and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your likeness.
6. Stir in crumbled “bacon” and serve.
This definitely makes for a very complete meal. It is protein-rich from the quinoa, cheese, and peas, it incorporates vegetables, and most importantly..it tastes amazing!
I served my Cheesy Quinoa ‘N Peas with “Bacon” with a side of roasted broccoli.
If you have never cooked with Laughing Cow or Weight Watchers cheese wedges, you really, REALLY need to! They make for one amazingly delicious cheesy sauce and each wedge only contains about 40-45 calories, so the sauce is virtually guilt-free :). These cheese wedges are beyond versatile and are not just for snacking. It is time to get with it and start using them for cooking!
If you are not a fan of peas you could certainly add in different vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or corn), and if you are a meat-eater, feel free to use lean turkey bacon. Though I must say, the vegetarian “bacon” is quite tasty! 😉
