Happy Friday my lovely steemit friends! We are the 15th already. Gosh, time flies. Six more days till the summer starts. Are you all getting excited? I bet you do. When we lived in Europe, summer was one of my favorite seasons.

Nice weather, sun, family holidays, cookouts, walks in nature, fresh berries …. Just naming a few things I love about the summer months.

With so much more time to spend outside, we tend to have less time for cooking. This, however, doesn’t mean we have to opt for take-out all the time.

There are so many yummy and healthy dishes you could make that only take 20 minutes of your precious summer time. And isn’t that about the time it takes to order and pick up food from a fast food joint? So why opt for these unhealthy salty and sugary meals full of additives if you could provide your family with real food made with LOVE?

#MAKEITHEALTHY TIP

Whether you live in Asia or not, I bet you all now fried rice. It’s easy to make, delicious, and don’t cost a thing. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner to clear out the fridge before you go on your next shopping trip.

It almost sounds like the perfect dish. But is it?

Not really. Yes, it has vegetables and is 100% cruelty-free, but have you ever heard about the dangers of rice?

Did you know that the famous carb popular in Asian cuisine contains an insane amount of arsenic? Arsenic is a toxic element that can bring about cancer and other diseases. Yikes.

CLICK HERE for more info.

But does this mean we can not make fried rice ever again? Absolutely not! There are so many other wonderful grains or pseudo-grains out there that actually taste better and add more essential nutrients to your diet. Quinoa is one of them!

20-MIN DINNER TURMERIC-INFUSED FRIED QUINOA WITH PINEAPPLE

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

2-2.5 cups cooked quinoa
1.5 cups fresh pineapple cubed
½ cup onion, chopped
1.5 cup broccoli, small florets
½ cup green peas
1 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tbsp sesame oil
Sea salt to taste
Optional: toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Heat cooking oil over medium to medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add ginger, garlic, cumin, chili, and turmeric. Cook for 1-2 minutes more or until fragrant.
Stir in bell pepper, pineapple, and broccoli. Stir-fry for 5-10 minutes. Then add cooked quinoa, green peas, soy sauce, sesame sauce, and lime juice. Cook until heated through.
Top with roasted sesame seeds. I used a mix of white and black.