Easy Quinoa and Brown Rice Pilaf

Fried rice is made for leftover rice.  I had both brown rice and quinoa in my fridge and I decided to combine them both for a plant version of the Chinese fried rice.  Being plant based, I avoided the use of frying the rice and quinoa and just used the soy sauce to help accomplish the blending of the two grains.  I wanted this to be a quick and easy recipe so I used frozen mixed vegetables and for the spices, dry garlic and onions.  I actually cooked the frozen mixed vegetables as is, namely frozen, and added it to the rice and quinoa in the same saute pan to save on washing an extra dish.  I just added water to help cook them.  The only thing I needed to chop are the green onions which I find is a must for any fried rice dish.

I decided to call this a pilaf so people would not be expecting a fried dish.  This recipe I assure you works without the step of frying in oil.  I do include a drizzle of sesame oil be used to round up the taste of this dish just when one is ready to eat it. It gives that nutty flavor and a little goes a long way.

This is delicious and will satisfy your cravings for the Asian fried rice without all the oil.  It is healthy dish especially with the addition of the super grain quinoa which gives it the protein boost.

Quinoa and Brown Rice Pilaf

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup green onions sliced
• Sesame oil (for drizzling over the pilaf)

Place the quinoa, brown rice, soy sauce, garlic powder and onion flakes in a pan and heat the mixture with stirring over medium heat.  Heat till the soy sauce and spices are incorporated into the rice and quinoa.  

Add the frozen mixed vegetables and water into the mixture heat at medium high with stirring until the vegetables are cooked. 

Season with salt and pepper according to your taste and add the red pepper flakes if you like and stir. 

When serving have the sliced green onions on the side to top each serving of the pilaf and also a bottle of sesame oil on the side for the individual to drizzle it over the pilaf.  You would like to drizzle the sesame oil just when you are ready to eat the pilaf since it tends to decompose with heat and lose its full flavor.