Pineapple Cashew Quinoa with Fresh Spring Rolls

Ok, ok, I know having pineapple in your main course is a little off-putting to some, but I swear this dish is not too sweet. It's actually savory and a little spicy. The pineapple just adds a great texture and balances some of the spice from the chilies. Paired with the spring roll, this meal is vegan and can be eaten hot or cold, and it is pretty darn healthy to boot. I got the recipe for the stir-fry from Veganomicon, but the spring rolls I just made up.

To start you should prep a cup of quinoa by cooking it with 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1 cup water, and a dash of soy sauce. You can skip the pineapple juice if you're worried it'll be too sweet. The quinoa should be fully cooked, fluffed, and cooled before you start the stir-fry.

For the stir-fry you'll need;

4 oz Raw, Unsalted Cashews
3 tbsp Peanut Oil
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Red Chilies, thinly sliced
Small chunk of Ginger, peeled and minced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 cup cooked Edamame
1/2 cup Basil, sliced
2 tbsp Mint, chopped
10 oz fresh Pineapple, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Mirin (I replaced this with Sake, so I could drink the rest with dinner)
Lime wedges to garnish

Toast the cashew for about 5 minutes over low heat and remove from the pan. Raise heat and add the oil, garlic, and scallions. After they start to sizzle, add the chilies and ginger. After about 2 minutes, add the bell pepper and edamame and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the peppers are soft. Add the basil and mint. After about another minute you can add the pineapple, cashews, and quinoa.

Mix soy sauce, stock, and sake in a separate container and then coat the quinoa. Heat and stir 10-14 minutes until it is hot. Be sure to stir the quinoa frequently, so it doesn't stick or burn. The lime tastes great squeezed over this dish.

The spring rolls have more room for your creativity. For these, I suggest getting the following ingredients;

Spring rolls (the rice kind --all you have to do is soak them in water for under a minute until they are soft and sticky)
Vermicelli or rice noodles (these cook in 30 seconds in boiling water)
Extra Firm Tofu, cut into rectangular strips
Spinach or other flavorful salad green
Carrots, julienned
Cucumber, julienned
Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
Mint
Cilantro

Use a non-stick griddle to eat the tofu on each side. Roll the ingredients you choose in the spring roll, and you're done! The mint and cilantro are really flavorful and refreshing, so whatever ingredients you choose I'd keep those.

Now you can serve the stir-fry and spring rolls together on a plate, and you'll have a refreshing Thai inspired meal.

Want something heavier? Freeze some of the spring rolls and deep fry them. I haven't tried this yet, but my boyfriend is going to take them to work to give it a whirl.