Yummy Quinoa recipes

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods, and a great substitute for any grain, and actually a lot healthier! Did you know that 1 serving of quinoa packs 14 grams of protein! Not only that, but it has all the complete amino acids and many necessary vitamins and minerals. Here are some of the recipes that I have tried and love:

Easy Quinoa and Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe
This easy, toss together quinoa is fabulous hot from the pan. But it's also delicious cool, as a quinoa salad.

First make your quinoa, the easy way. In a rice cooker. Here's the quinoa recipe. You'll need roughly 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.

As it cooks, gather and cut up your summer vegetables.

You'll need:

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
A fistful of slender asparagus or green beans, trimmed, sliced
1 Japanese eggplant (small eggplants are way less bitter), peeled, sliced into bite size pieces
1 bell pepper- red, yellow, orange or green, cored, sliced
2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, trimmed, sliced
A handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt and ground pepper
Herbs, to taste- parsley, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes- whatever you prefer
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

When the quinoa is almost done, heat a splash of light olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, stir until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the remaining vegetables. Season with sea salt, pepper, and herbs. Add the balsamic vinegar. Stir-fry until tender.

Scoop the cooked quinoa out of the rice cooker and add it into the wok. Stir to combine with the vegetables. Taste test and add more salt or seasoning if it needs it. Remove from heat. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to fluff.

Serve immediately; or allow it to cool, then cover and refrigerate it to eat as a salad. before serving it cold, taste test again and adjust seasonings.


Quinoa Salad Recipe with Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Basil and Mint
Summer is the time for picnics and salads that are easy as pie to toss together. Make this tabbouleh inspired quinoa early in the day, before the heat zaps your cooking mojo. It only gets better the longer it chills.

Amounts are approximations, a template to guide you. Salad making is more of an art than science.

You'll need:

1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa
A handful of sweet grape tomatoes
1 carrot, grated
4 scallions, sliced (white and light green sections)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, whole or pitted and chopped
1/3 cup slivered nuts- pecans, almonds or walnuts
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes, depending upon size

Rub the clove of raw garlic inside a glass or ceramic salad bowl.

While the cooked quinoa is still a bit warm (but not steaming hot) scoop it into a bowl and fluff with a fork.

Halve or quarter the yellow tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Add in the grated carrot, sliced scallions, Kalamata olives, and slivered nuts. Toss lightly to combine.

Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Add the chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil- enough to moisten. Toss to distribute. Squeeze a lemon or a lime all over the salad and toss.

Taste test (this is the fun part). Adjust the seasonings. Does it need more olive oil? Salt? More citrus? Is there a good balance of quinoa and add-ins?

When the seasoning tastes right, cover and chill until serving (at least one hour, but a few is even better).

Before serving, taste again and readjust seasonings if you need to. Chilling summer salads- such as quinoa, rice or potato- dulls certain flavors a bit.


Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf Recipe
You can use either broth or water to cook this quinoa recipe. For a hearty, flavor-rich quinoa pilaf, use your favorite broth.

First:

Make your quinoa the easy way- using a rice cooker. You'll need roughly 2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked quinoa. Here's the organic brand of quinoa I used.

As the quinoa cooks, gather and cut up your vegetables.

You'll need:

Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small to medium yellow bell pepper, diced fine
1 small to medium green bell pepper, diced fine
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Greek Seasoning (mint, lemon, basil, oregano mix)
2 scallions (spring onions) sliced- white and light green sections
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Option:

Toasted pine nuts, for serving

When the quinoa is almost done, heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, yellow and green pepper; and stir over medium heat until slightly softened. Add in the mushrooms. Season with sea salt, and ground pepper, to taste. Add the Greek seasoning. Stir and cook until the mushrooms are tender.

Scoop the cooked quinoa out of the rice cooker and add it into the mushroom- pepper mixture. Add in the sliced scallions. Stir to combine. Squeeze fresh lemon juice all over the quinoa and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat the quinoa.

Taste test and add more salt or seasoning if it needs it.

Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts , if desired.

Serve immediately; or allow it to cool, then cover and refrigerate it to eat as a salad.

Note on chilling this quinoa: Before serving this quinoa cold, taste test again and adjust seasonings; chilling often dulls the flavors in these kinds of salads. I usually allow quinoa salad a few minutes out of the fridge before serving; letting it to come to room temperature helps the flavors. If making ahead as a salad, I'd use water instead of broth- personal preference.