The goods from Quinoa

I ran into this crazy named, lovely rice like food after seeing recipes on Pinterest. I was excited to try it after reading about how good Quinoa is for you. So I found some in the store and started experimenting with it. The first time we ate it as a side instead of rice and we liked it. The next time, we cooked it with some salsa added to it and ate it with tacos as a sort of Spanish Rice. Ever since, we have been lovers of the this fabulous food. Here are a couple of recipes I have tried with this super food.


Breakfast Blueberry Quinoa

http://www.marthastewart.com/314453/breakfast-quinoa?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/quick-and-easy-breakfasts#slide_12

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole or low-fat milk, plus more for serving
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar, plus more for serving
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh blueberries, plus more for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   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.

2. STEP 2

   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.

http://www.closetcooking.com/2014/01/mediterranean-quinoa-salad.html#_a5y_p=1163528

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutesServings: 6

A Mediterranean inspired quinoa salad with juicy tomatoes and cucumbers along with tangy red onions and salty kalamata olives and feta.

ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup tomato, sliced
• 1 cup cucumber, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (~1 lemon) or red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes, and let sit covered for 5 minutes before letting it cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Mix the quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta and chickpeas and toss in the mixture of the lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Note: I like my quinoa to be al-dente and not mushy so I use a little less than the commonly called for 2 cups for 1 cup of quinoa; I use 1 1/2 cups of water when I rinse the quinoa and 1 3/4 cups when the quinoa is pre-rinsed.
Tip: Cook the quinoa a day ahead to save time.
Option: Add other Mediterranean inspired ingredients like roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts or even avocados.

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1720177093&blog=3902220&link=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRwcm94eS5nb29nbGUuY29tL35yL2Jsb2dzcG90L0JmYVhXL34zL0d5OVh2amtLNEprLw&frame_type=fb

Honey-Lime Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed then pierced several times with a fork
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups grilled or frozen corn
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp caynenne pepper
• 3 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 1/2 Tbsp honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1/2 cup)
• Sour cream for serving, optional

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until fluffy.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and saute until tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauting. Add onion mixture to cooked quinoa, along with black beans, corn, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, lime juice and honey, 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro and toss mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cut cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop out some of the sweet potato flesh to create a bowl shape, while leaving about 1/3 to 1/2-inch of sweet potato intact (reserve scooped out potato in refrigerator for another use). Fill sweet potatoes with quinoa mixture, then sprinkle tops evenly with cheese. Transfer to oven and broil until cheese has melted. Serve warm garnished with cilantro and sour cream if desired.
• Recipe Source: Cooking Classy