Grains with Caramelized Onions and Peppers

Chop the onion. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper then chop it. Mince the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and stir to mix. Reduce heat to low and cook until liquid is evaporated and onions/peppers are nicely caramelized (20-25 minutes).

While the veggies are cooking, bring the beef broth to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir to mix, cover the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.

When both are done, combine the cooked quinoa and caramelized onions and peppers and serve.

Notes:
– If there is still a fair amount of liquid in the veggie mixture when the quinoa is done, just drain most of the excess off before adding it to the quinoa.
– Other grains work very well in this recipe. I’ve made it with brown rice, farro, barley, and whole wheat couscous (I prefer the Israeli type for this recipe). Adjust the amount of beef broth and cooking time according to your package instructions. I find it better to err on the side of a little less liquid than called for since you’ll be adding some back in with the caramelized veggies.
– If you don’t care for peppers, use two onions instead. We buy a club pack of 6 bell peppers every week (which contains 1 green and 5 red/orange/yellow) and roast one every night along with a bunch of other veggies. However, my husband will only eat the green peppers once they’ve been caramelized for this dish.
– Feel free to experiment with other spices/seasonings. I’ve tried thyme, oregano, and basil. Just add whatever you want to the veggies while they’re caramelizing. However, there’s plenty of flavor without other seasonings.
– You could certainly make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth, or just water, to cook the grain. I like the flavor from the beef broth. If you don’t use broth, add a little salt.
– I have read that the “best” way to cook quinoa is to fully rinse it in cold water and then toast it in the pan before adding cooking liquid. Also, apparently the “proper” amount of cooking liquid is closer to 1 1/4 cup per 1 cup of quinoa than the 2:1 ratio usually listed on the package. I rarely rinse/toast my quinoa and have found that I get nice fluffy cooked quinoa using about 1 1/2 cup liquid per 1 cup quinoa. If you have the time and think it will taste better, by all means, rinse/toast and use less cooking liquid!