My answer to both of those questions was "no" up until recently. But now I'm enlightened about the deliciousness of quinoa and the proper pronunciation....yay for education! :)
Quinoa is not only tasty, but also very healthy. According to Livestrong.com:
Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs. Complete proteins are rare in the plant world, making quinoa an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, or for anyone looking for healthy protein source. It's also high in iron and calcium, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium and copper, as well as fiber.
That's a pretty awesome grain!
The basic way that I cook quinoa is to combine 2 cups of water or chicken broth (I prefer broth for the extra flavor) and 1 cup of quinoa in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Easy peasy!
Basic quinoa is great and can be used for many different things, such as this Parmesan Spinach Quinoa.
This is a great way to spruce up quinoa and add a healthy dose of veggies!
Parmesan & Spinach QuinoaSource: Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients
• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 whole Small Sweet Onion, Diced
• 2 cloves Cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Sliced Mushrooms (omitted)
• ¼ cups Dry White Wine
• 1 bunch Fresh Spinach (I used a few handfuls of bagged baby spinach)
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Stuff PLEASE
Preparation Instructions
Cook quinoa as directed on the box, but please use chicken broth or stock. It adds a lot more flavor than water.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and the salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté for an addtional 5 minutes. Add the white wine and turn the heat up to medium-high and let simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Add spinach until wilted down. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once the quinoa is cooked through and wine has simmered off the mushroom/onion mixture, add the quinoa to the skillet and toss with the mushroom mixture. Add the parmesan cheese on top.
Side note: This is a very hearty side dish, and could easily be made into a main dish by adding some grilled chicken or tofu!
I knew it was pronounced keen-wah...and I made it once, its just expensive! This looks like a great dinner idea for while Andrew is away....I am perfectly fine w/o meat in my dinner!
ReplyDeleteAng - At my grocery store here they carry quinoa in the bulk bins...it makes it so much more affordable! But I doubt they have that in old Germany. :)
ReplyDeleteI forgot to comment on this! Taylor bought it at the store instead of couscous and we made some vegetable medley things which was kind of bland. Then I saw this recipe and tried it and it was really good!! Thanks for sharing. You had commented about it being more expensive, so I asked Taylor if he remembered the price. He said...oh it was cheap, like a buck or two. I saw it at the store that week and it was about $4 for a little box. Men and their memories.... :)
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