When I first started using my Instant Pot, I used it most often for making recipes like this one. The pressure cooker takes care of cooking the quinoa, while vegetables roast to perfection in the oven, leaving your hands free to mix together the dressing.
SERVES 6
Prep: 18 minutes
Pressurize: 6 minutes
Cook: 26 minutes
Natural Release: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces with woody stems removed (optional)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1¼ cups water
6 tablespoons tahini
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the potatoes to coat with the oil, then season with salt and pepper and place them in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
2 Once the sweet potatoes are in the oven, arrange the brussels sprouts and asparagus on a second large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the sprouts and asparagus to coat with the oil, then season with salt and pepper and place them in the oven along with the sweet potatoes. Roast until the vegetables are tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. (Because the sweet potatoes have a head start, everything should finish cooking at roughly the same time.)
3 While the vegetables are roasting, add the quinoa and 1 cup of the water to the Instant Pot and give it a stir. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing . Select Manual/Pressure Cook and cook on high pressure for 1 minute. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
4 While the quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, remaining ¼ cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Whisk well (adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to thin).
5 When the screen reads L0:15, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the quinoa.
6 To serve, fill each bowl with some chopped kale, cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber. Drizzle the creamy tahini dressing over the top. Store leftovers in four separate airtight containers—for the quinoa, the roasted vegetables, the raw vegetables, and the dressing—in the fridge for 5 days.