Main Side Dish

I might be obsessed with this new side dish I have been making which has now turned into a main dish. It's from Trader Joe's and is called the Harvest Grains Blend. You can find it in the rice & grains section. It is a savory blend of Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans, and Red Quinoa. The directions on the package are simple. You just boil water or broth and add 1 tablespoon of butter, stir in the Harvest Blend, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Simple. I decided to spice it up a bit and add some vegetables, more Quinoa and kept it on the healthy side and didn't add any butter. It is so easy to do and it is hearty and delicious.

I sauteed diced onions on high heat in a little bit of olive oil. Then added vegetables and season with salt & pepper. I added diced yellow peppers, diced asparagus, and diced zucchini. The vegetable combinations are endless. I have even diced up eggplant before and that was a good one. You don't want to cook the vegetables all the way through because they steam with the grains. Just brown them up a bit.
The next steps are:
Add 1 & 1/3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
Add 3/4 of a cup of the Harvest Grains Blend and 1/2 a cup of Quinoa.
Turn heat down and simmer till cooked through. Add salt & pepper to taste at the end along with any fresh herbs you have on hand. Italian parsley, dill, thyme, basil, you name it!I have served it on the side with roasted chicken and used the left overs for breakfast. I put it inside a breakfast wrap with scrambled eggs, arugula, avocado, and salsa and my most recent breakfast was a cup of the left over Harvest Grain Blend heated up in a pan and I served an over easy egg on top.
The yolk really adds a richness to this dish.
I plan to keep stock of the Harvest Grains Blend in my pantry at all times. Easy access so I can make this side dish or better yet main dish when ever the craving sets in.