Quinoa recipes

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) makes a great side dish or a main dish. It’s exceptionally nutritious as it is the only grain to provide a complete protein–i.e. it contains all nine essential amino acids. (BTW, rice has half the amino acids and beans the complementary half, making rice and beans a complete protein.)

I found quinoa at Costco a couple of months ago and decided to give it a try. I love it and now we have it once a week or so. And my husband who never missed a beat found a beer recipe for it too AND consequently bought me quinoa seeds for the summer garden to plant with the okra!

Anyway, here’s a delicious recipe that has quickly become one of my favorite sides and worth the little extra time to make.

Quinoa with Toasted Almonds and Cranberries:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
• 1 cube broth stock
• 1-1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Soak quinoa for 1/2 hour (or even overnight if you’re a grain soaker) in cold water. Rinse thoroughly (until water runs clear). On medium heat stir and toast the slivered almonds until golden. Stir and roast the quinoa until dry and turning color. Transfer toasted quinoa and toasted almonds and cranberries to a 2 qt saucepan. Add boiling water, broth stock cube, salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring back to boil, cover and turn heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Removed from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and serve.

Here’s another recipe I found recently. I tried it once and it was pretty tasty.

Breakfast Quinoa (from Martha Stewart Living Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk (plus more for serving)
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (until water runs clear)
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh blueberries

Directions:

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in blueberries, and cook for 30 seconds. Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnamon, and blueberries.