Snap Pea + Avocado Quinoa Bowl with Peanut Sauce

Place 1 cup quinoa, 1 ½ cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a pot with a fitted lid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir well, then reduce to medium low and partially cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, then stir well. Cook for another 5-6 minutes until the water is absorbed and stir again. Then turn off the heat and cover. Let it sit.

Wash the beet skin well to remove any dirt.

Cut the beet in half. Place it in a small pot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and cover, reduce to medium and boil for about 15-20 minutes until you can easily pierce it with a knife.

Remove the beet from the water and let it cool a bit. When you can, place it in a towel or paper towel and using the texture as resistance, peel off the skin. It should slide off. Slice into very thin slices.

Add all ingredients to a blender (that's the: peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic) and blend until very smooth. If you have a bullet blender for smoothies, use that. If you want to avoid a machine all together - add the peanut butter to a glass bowl and microwave it for 35 seconds. Finely mince the garlic and ginger, small as you can (or grate it on a microplane grater) and whisk it in. Add the other ingredients and whisk to combine.

Trim the snap peas to remove the strings as needed. Use a large saute pan and set to medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan (½ teaspoon) and when hot and shimmery, add the peas. Cook, stirring or flipping a few times, for just 2-3 minutes until they’re bright green and just cooked. Transfer to a plate and turn off the heat under the pan.

Slice carrots into very thin rounds.

Dice cucumbers into rounds or small diced cubes.

Slice avocado.

Fill the bottom of a large bowl with quinoa and press it a little bit flat. Top with cucumbers, carrots, avocado, and beet.. Drizzle the peanut sauce over top to taste. Garnish with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and cilantro.