Quinoa for Breakfast

Quinoa for Breakfast

The other day, I made up a pot of quinoa; I like to put a few spoonfuls into each bowl of my Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup. Turns out, I made way too much quinoa. I read that cooked quinoa can be frozen with good results, but I thought I might first try having quinoa for breakfast just like oatmeal. Turns out I really like it. 

So if you find yourself with left over quinoa, you might want to give this a try. 

This is not an exact recipe, but a little healthy and yummy meal inspiration. Here's what I've been doing:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/4 to 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice), a pinch of cinnamon, a little brown sugar (or maple syrup or honey), 1 to 2 tablespoons of raisins, and 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Heat in the microwave, uncovered, for 1 1/2 minutes on High power.  

Top with chopped fresh fruit as desired.  Stir and let sit for about 1 minute.  Enjoy!

Some mornings I've had chopped Honey Crisp apple (1/2 an apple) stirred into my quinoa bowl and some mornings I've had sliced banana stirred into my quinoa bowl. I really like both!

The photo above is one I captured from the internet... because sometime I forget to take photos if my breakfast at 5:00 am. Imagine that!?!

I am looking forward to trying more quinoa breakfast recipes. I found a great collection of recipes here:

http://greatist.com/eat/breakfast-quinoa-recipes

This one recipe (below) will be the NEXT one I try for sure!

http://www.accordingtoelle.com/chai-breakfast-quinoa/

Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Grilled Salmon Kabobs

I am trying to get back on track with healthier eating. Despite exercising more since I've been retired, I've put on a few pounds.  My husband was heading to the grocery store today and I told him I felt I had nothing much to eat aside from salads with grilled chicken.  Boring!  I had a few things in mind that I might like to cook and he suggested salmon and I said, "Sure!" 

He came home with salmon, asparagus, blueberries, apples, and nectarines.  An entire rainbow of food.  That was very thoughtful of him.  I got to cooking right away.  I made up some quinoa, I put the asparagus in the oven to roast with a scant amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and I made up salmon kabobs like I'd seen on the internet.  I just thinly sliced a lemon, folded the lemon slices in half, and then slide them onto the skewers between the cubes of salmon. 

I grilled the salmon on my small grill pan (which is actually a panini pan).  I like my salmon rather well done so I just kept cooking it until it was really flakey and kind of dry.  It made a delicious meal with quinoa and roasted asparagus.  The only seasoning I used was kosher salt and pepper. When I looked up the original recipe source, a blog called Skinnytaste, I saw Gina recommended some additional spices.   Next time, I'll try that for sure.  To see the Skinnytaste recipe for Grilled Salmon Kabobs, you can find it HERE.   I will get four meals out of the cooking I did today (I used two salmon filets and they weighed less than 1 pound total I think).  It will be a nice to have this meal, and NOT just salads with grilled chicken. 

Ancho-Chile Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro-Lime Quinoa and Fresh Pico de Gallo

I made up this nice plate for myself and snapped this photo with my iPhone as I sat down to eat my meal.  Just after I took this photo, I dropped my iPhone into my plate of food.  Doh!  Don't do that, but do try this recipe.  It's good!

Ancho-Chile Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro-Lime Quinoa and Fresh Pico de Gallo

We are trying to eat healthier and focus on lean protein with fresh fruits and vegetables, and we are trying to stay away from the carbs we love so much: bread, pasta, tortillas, etc.  For some recipe inspiration, I flipped through a magazine from 2014.  

I found a pork tenderloin recipe; I knew my husband would NOT go for the Pineapple-Papaya Salsa, so I made Fresh Pico de Gallo instead.  I also made up some Cilantro Lime Quinoa.  When I try a new recipe, I always wonder if it's going to be a flop, but my husband really LOVED this recipe.  He ate all the leftovers so we got 5 servings out of this recipe.

You can see the spice rub in the photo above.  I had all the ingredients on hand which is always nice. I thought I had purchased a PLAIN pork tenderloin but when I was opening up my packaged tenderloin, I saw it was called "original" (looks like it was pre-seasoned).  I did rinse my pork tenderloin under cold running water to remove some of the "goo" from the packaging and patted the tenderloin dry with paper towels before coating it with the spice rub.

Ancho-Chile Crusted Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (I used Hormel brand: 1.5 pounds, the label read "original")

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over pork tenderloin (see notes above); coat the entire tenderloin with the spice mixture.  Place tenderloin in a gallon sized zip close bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Place pork loin in a baking dish (I used a 13" x 9" x 2" glass Pyrex dish).  Bake for about 35 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.  I was in a hurry to get this on the table so I cooked this at 425 degrees.  The original recipe calls for cooking the pork tenderloin on the outdoor grill. 

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed

1 cup water

pinch of kosher salt

a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro leaves

the finely grated zest of 1 lime

the juice of half a lime

Bring the water and the pinch of salt to a boil.  Add in quinoa, cover with a lid, reduce to low; simmer for 17 to 20 minutes, without removing the lid on the pot.  When done, add in the cilantro, lime, zest, and lime juice from 1/2 a lime; fluff and stir with a fork.

Fresh Pico de Gallo

4 or 5 fresh Roma tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed, finely diced

1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced (use less if you don't like spicy)

1 fresh clove of garlic, finely minced

the juice of half a lime

1/2 of a small onion, I used a sweet Vidalia onion, finely diced

a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

a few pinches of granulated sugar to offset the spice/heat

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl; toss with a fork to combine.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup with Quinoa: Gluten Free

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup with Quinoa

I have been wanting to try to make a Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup for awhile now and finally got around to it.  This soup was pretty easy to throw together.  We are trying to eat less processed starchy foods, so instead of putting pasta or white rice in this soup, I opted for quinoa.  If you've not jumped on the quinoa band wagon yet, quinoa is ancient grain and, if I understand correctly, it's the only grain which is also a complete protein.  I made and am storing the soup and the quinoa separately.  I  have found that things like pasta and rice get weird if left in soup, so I am just adding a bit of quinoa to each portion of soup when I reheat it.

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 bell peppers, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced

1 can (14.5 ounce size) of fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 cans (14.5 ounce size) reduced sodium, low fat or fat free beef broth

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (dried herbs)

cooked quinoa

grated mozzarella cheese or grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook and crumble ground beef until no pink remains. Drain off fat and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Add in the peppers and onions, the Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic and cook for one additional minute, stirring frequently. 

Add in the cooked ground beef, the tomatoes, and the beef broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover the pot with a lid and simmer to 10 to 15 minutes.  We like the veggies with a little crunch so we don't simmer the soup for very long. Taste for seasoning; add in salt, pepper, and a little granulated sugar, if needed.

For serving, spoon a little cooked quinoa (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) into each serving bowl. Top with a little grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese and ladle in hot soup.

Makes 5 servings.  I keep the quinoa and soup separate in the refrigerator and then just add in a little quinoa when I reheat each portion of soup.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Pilaf and Spicy Citrus Chicken

Quinoa Pilaf with Spicy Citrus Chicken and Oven Roasted Broccoli

I stand in the kitchen each night cooking dinner and I invariably have a few cupboard wide open. It's amazing I don't wind up with a black eye from walking into the edge of a cabinet!   While I am standing in the kitchen waiting for something to cook, I can't help but notice the recipes on the various bags, boxes, and cans in my kitchen cupboards.

This week, I noticed the two recipes on my quinoa; they both looked great.  I am now finding organic quinoa at Sam's Club. Yay, it's way less than expensive than my local health food store. 

I tried this Quinoa Pilaf recipe today and really like it.  I substituted shallots for the onion and I used chicken broth for the vegetable broth.  I added a step and toasted the walnuts before chopping and adding them to the dish.  Next time, I think I will use a different nut.  I felt the walnuts got a little lost in the dish; I might try pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, or almonds next time around.

I decided to make this quinoa to go with chicken.  I am cooking ahead for the week for me.  I also made oven roasted broccoli.  Here's the chicken recipe I tried.

Spiced Citrus Chicken
(Recipe source can be found HERE)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
juice of 1 fresh lime
juice of 1 fresh orange
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cayenne (red pepper)
½ Teaspoon Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt

Combine olive oil, juices, and remaining ingredients in a gallon-sized reclosable freezer bag. Add 4-8 pieces of chicken - any pieces will do... breasts, wings, thighs, drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on, boneless, skinless, etc. I used 8 rather small boneless, skinless chicken thighs; I trimmed the fat off as best as I could. (The original recipe indicates you can freeze the chicken at this point for use later in the week).  I just allowed the chicken to marinate for about 30 minutes.

If you freeze the chicken with the marinade, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Then you can either a) cook it in the crockpot on LOW for 6-8 hours, b) cook it in an uncovered pan in the oven at 350˚ (boneless - 30 minutes; bone-in up to an hour), or c) grill.  I lined a sheet pan (with a rim) with aluminum foil and sprayed it with no-stick cooking spray and cooked the chicken for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  I love how moist and tender the chicken thighs turned out. 

Easy Broccoli Cheese Crustless Quinoa Quiche

I had a number of cooking and baking messess and successes this weekend. I cooked and baked a ton & this crustless quiche is a winner! WooHoo! I love it when a plan comes together. 

This was super simple and quick to throw together.  I don't often buy frozen veggies with cheese sauce but I like this one.  Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce.  I buy them if they are on sale or if I have a coupon.  I am the only one in the house who will eat them. 

Easy Broccoli Cheese Crustless Quinoa Quiche

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked quinoa
2 packages (10 ounce size) frozen Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce
3 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) fat free evaporated milk
several grinds of black pepper
no salt is needed as the cheese sauce has plenty of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick spray (such as Pam).  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and spread it in an even layer in the bottom of the pie pan.


Poke two holes in each of the broccoli and cheese plastic pouches after removing the pouches from the cardboard boxes.  Cook the first pouch in the microwave oven for 3 minutes on High (100 %) power; remove from the microwave oven and cook the second pouch in the same way.

Carefully cut open the plastic pouches and distribute the broccoli and cheese sauce over the quinoa in a even layer. 

In a bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add in the evaporated milk and pepper; whisk to combine.  Carefully pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and quinoa. 

Cook in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges.
Makes 8 generous servings.  Reheats well in the microwave oven. 

*****************
The egg and milk mixture really sinks down into the quinoa layer and it's almost as if the broccoli and cheese sauce rise to the top for a cheesy, creamy layer.  If you want the quinoa, broccoli, and cheese to be more evenly distributed in your quiche, you might try slowly swirling a dinner knife through the quiche after pouring in the egg mixture (just before baking).

From "The Lean Green Bean": Cheesy Mexican Quinoa

I have been enjoying a blog called The Lean Green Bean for a few months now.  The blogger responsible for the site is a very energetic young gal who is in school to be a registered dietician I believe.  I get lots of healthy-eating and smart-snacking ideas from the recipes and information she posts.  This recipe was right up my alley since I love all the ingredients. As an added bonus, I only had to pick up two things at the store... baked tortilla chips and some pepper jack cheese.

The original recipe can be found HERE.
I made very few changes.  I omitted the corn and added extra black beans.  I used pepper jack cheese in place of these cheese listed in the recipe... we love pepper jack cheese.

Cheesy Mexican Quinoa from www.theleangreenbean.com

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 1/2 c onion, diced (I used almost an entire onion)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced (I used a yellow pepper)
• 2 c black beans, cooked (I used two 14.5 ounce black beans, rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 c corn kernels (I omitted)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp cumin (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (I was chicken... I used just 1/2 teaspoon)
• 2 c quinoa, cooked
• 1 c grated/shredded low-fat cheese (I used pepper jack cheese)
• 1 c skim milk (I used 1 percent milk)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• Toppings: tomato & avocado (I used diced Roma tomatoes)

Instructions

1. In a pan, saute the onions, peppers, garlic and spices until softened.
2. Add the black beans, corn (if using), quinoa, and mix well.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
4. In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the flour.
5. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly to minimize lumps.
6. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
7. Add the quinoa mixture and the spices and stir until mixed well.
8. Transfer mixture to a greased casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through.
9. Top with tomatoes (and avocado if using)

10.  Eat with baked tortilla chip... Tostitos brand Baked Scoop Chips were awesome with this.

I am sure I will lose credibility
if I refer to each and every recipe
I post about as being "my new favorite recipe"... but seriously, this recipe ROCKS!  My husband really liked it too.  A meatless meal, imagine that!?

Recipe Flash Back... Black Bean Salsa over Quinoa

I haven't always enjoyed cooking.  For the first several years after my husband I were married over 20 years ago, we ate out... a LOT!  Once we had a family, cooking at home and eating together as a family seemed like the right thing to do. That's what my Mom did, every night after a long day at work, my Mom would make the family a nice "square meal".  And we sat down to dinner at the table as a family... it was a good thing. 

Once my husband and I had our son, I remember really giving our bread machine a work out... making dough for lots of home-made pizzas and some other amazing recipes from my favorite bread book called "Bread Machine Magic".  But I struggled to come up with meals, especially meals which could be prepared in advance or after a long day at work.

One day at lunch, a co-worker named Holly, kept going on and on about Rachael Ray on The Food Network.  I started watching her show called "30-Minute Meals" and found myself thinking, "Wow, I can do that!".  A lot of folks give Rachael Ray a hard time or don't care for her.  Oh, the haters!  But what I like about this busy lady is that she says things such as, "I am not teaching you a recipe here... it's more of a technique!"  She talks constantly as she cooks and she tells the viewer how to adapt the recipes, swapping out ingredients if you don't care for some.  Don't care for cilantro, use some parsley.  Don't like pork, use chicken breasts.  From the moment I started watching her, I was enthralled with Rachael Ray and pretty much any show on The Food Network.  I loved seeing her use kitchen gadgets I'd never heard of (Microplane graters), I loved learning about new ingredients (chipotles in adobo sauce), and I loved the thought of finding new recipes for my family.  Yum-O! 

The first Rachael Ray "30-Minute Meals" episode where I really got motivated to get cookin' was a Cuban inspired meal... a seasoned pork tenderloin, sofrito rice, and black bean salsa.  Black Bean Salsa... I can do that!  What's great about The Food Network (and also now The Cooking Channel), is that you can watch a show and look up the recipes on-line.  The link for the Black Bean Salsa that so motivated me can be found HERE.  I made the salsa and loved it.  From there, I tried more and more recipes but what I enjoyed the most was using the recipes I found merely as a source of inspiration. 

We've been having lots of fresh salsa ingredients in the house lately, serving it over Blacked Flounder as well as a Balsamic, Rosemary, Garlic and Honey marniated grilled flat iron steak.  We ate out a few times last week due to tennis tournaments, so I was craving something really clean and light and healthful for lunch on Saturday.  I remembered back to the Rachael Ray's Black Bean Salsa and whipped up a fresh dish of Black Bean Salsa with ingredients I had on hand.  I loved it over cooked and cooled quinoa,which I also just happened to have in the refrigerator.

 Black Bean Salsa over Quinoa

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, more if desired 
• 1/2 lime, juiced 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, about 1 tablespoon, more or less as desired
• cooked, cooled quinoa

Combine all ingredients (except quinoa) in a bowl; stir to combine. Serve salsa room temperature (or cold) over room temperature or cold quinoa.  A dollop of plain yogurt is nice but not necessary.  You could add finely diced jalapeno pepper to this, but I was feeling lazy.

 

This made at least three lunches for me served over quinoa.  As Rachel Ray would say, "Yum-O!"

Again... sorry, no photo, but if I make this again soon, I'll add a pic!  Bad blogger, BAD!

Quinoa with Orange and Rosemary

Quinoa with Orange and Rosemary
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
1 3/4 cups water
pinch of salt

Zest of one naval orange
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice with pulp
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
a few pinches of salt
a few grinds of black pepper

Directions:
Bring water to a boil; add quinoa and a pinch of salt if desired.
Return water to a boil, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to lowest setting,
and allow to simmer for 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the orange zest, juice/pulp, oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. When all water is absorbed into the quinoa, fluff the quinoa grains with a fork and stir in the herb-oil mixture. Refrigerate; serve cold. Great on a garden salad.

Quick and easy dressing for quinoa...

Garden salads with yellow tomatoes and quinoa:  this is what I've been enjoying for lunch this week.

 The addition of quinoa makes a simple salad a "stick to your ribs" meal.

I just looked back at my recipe for Lemony Quinoa with Herbes de Provence... I said 3/4 cup Herbes de Provence... Uhhh, I meant 3/4 TEASPOON... sorry about that!

Crustless Quinoa Quiche

Crustless Quinoa Quiche

This past year, I noticed an interesting quiche recipe which incorporates my new favorite food... quinoa! The recipe was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Click HERE to see the recipe. I kept wondering about the texture of the quinoa baked into the milky-eggy quiche custard. I started to dream up my own recipe for a crust-less quiche. I got to thinking the dish would be like an “egg strata” with layers of yummy ingredients and the quinoa would take the place of the slices of bread you would find in a traditional egg strata. Much like the quiche recipe I posted about recently, this dish has limitless possibilities. Again, I used left over tidbits from the refrigerator. I am happy to report this dish turned out great! I am enjoying this for my lunches at work this week. It appears the quinoa sort of rises to the very top of the dish as it bakes, so the dish is not as  layered anymore, but instead has a nice, firm, consistent texture throughout. I bet this would be a good recipe if you have folks over for brunch. I had considered calling this recipe something like... “Quinoa Egg Strata”... but, since I really have a "thing" for ALLITERATIONS, I am calling this recipe “Crustless Quinoa Quiche”. I look forward to making this again with other ingredients. Here’s the recipe:

Crustless Quionoa Quiche (with Broccoli, Peppers, Onions, Ham, & Swiss)

½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
a scant cup of water
1/4 to ½ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs
1 can low-fat (2%) evaporated milk (14 ounces)
1/4 to ½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 of a yellow onion, diced
1 to 1 ½ cups cooked, chopped broccoli (*)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
5 to 6 ounces diced ham
Optional garnish: before baking, sprinkle dish with chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley. I used way too much... don’t do what I did!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the quinoa, salt, and a scant cup of water in small pot; bring to a boil, reduce temperature to lowest setting, cover with a lid, and cook (covered) for 17 to 19 minutes (or until all liquid is absorbed).

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper flakes; set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil; add the peppers and onions. Saute (or sweat) out the excess moisture out of the vegetables until the onions become translucent; stir frequently.

To assemble, place the ingredients in the prepared 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish in the following order: quinoa, broccoli, ham, cheese, sauteed vegetables.  Next, pour the egg-mixture over the layered ingredients. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. You might want to check your dish for doneness at about 45 minutes (I live at high altitude and 55 minutes was perfect for me, but at sea level... your Crustless Quinoa Quiche may cook more quickly... say that fives times really fast! Hee, hee!)

(*) I did not have any cooked broccoli in the fridge. I just had one crown of broccoli. I broke the crown into about a dozen “trees”. Next, I brought about 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot, I added the broccoli to the pot, covered the pot with a lid, and cooked for about 2 minutes. Then I drained the broccoli and placed it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. I chopped the broccoli into smaller pieces before adding it to the dish.

Layers of goodness... yum!

Lemony Quinoa

My favorite citrus kitchen gadgets.

Lemony Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 to ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 lemon (for zest and juice)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Using a fine-mesh strainer, rinse and drain quinoa.
2. In a medium-sized pot, combine water, quinoa, and salt.
3. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook on low for 18 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the finely grated zest of the lemon, the lemon juice (my lemon gave off 2 tablespoons of juice), the olive oil, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and set aside.
5. When the quinoa is done (all liquid is absorbed), fluff the quinoa with fork. Add the parsley-mixture to the quinoa and stir with a fork to incorporate. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

My lunches for work... lemony quinoa, steamed broccoli, and left over grilled chicken.  It was very tasty. 

Italian Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained

1 3/4 cups water

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. kosher salt, dried oregano, dried basil, & garlic powder

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes & ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:
Combine the water and quinoa in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover with a lid, reduce to low heat, and cook covered until all liquid is absorbed (For me, at high altitude, about 17 to 19 minutes is perfect. If you are at a lower altitude, your quinoa may take a few minutes less).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the salt, pepper, herbs, and spices. Stir to combine and heat in microwave for about 15 seconds.

When quinoa is done cooking, fluff with a fork; drizzle olive oil mixture over quinoa and stir well to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately. Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley would be a great addition.

This is my very first quinoa recipe and how I got my husband to eat quinoa. My son is still not a fan of quinoa. I use the same oil-herb mixture outlined above and toss it with hot, cooked pasta (such as orzo or small bowties), top with lots of Parmesan cheese, and my son does love that.


In our house, whether we make this dish with quinoa or pasta, we call this recipe "Ollie Oul" (rhymes with "ghoul").  I used to order a recipe called "Aglio e Oleo" (garlic & olive oil) at a local Italian Restaurant... a simple pasta dish with., as the name suggests, is made with garlic & olive oil... and sometimes crushed red pepper flakes.  It's one of those items you order off of a menu and you totally stumble over correct pronunciation and end up pointing to the item on the menu so you can ensure the waiter or waitress understands you because you want to make sure you get what you really mean to order.  However you spell or pronounce it, it's tasty comfort food in my book.

FRENCH'S CRUNCHY OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

The other night, we had  French's Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken with Italian Quinoa and Caesar Salad for dinner.  It was a nice meal but quick and easy enough to whip together on a week night. 

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa with Spicy Black Beans

CILANTRO-LIME QUINOA  WITH SPICY BLACK BEANS

I am so happy to share this recipe with you. When I recently challenged myself to introduce more vegetarian and/or vegan dishes into my diet, this is the first recipe I dreamed up.  I have a real thing for cilantro & lime... they have a real affinity for one another... just like chocolate & peanut butter, lemons & blueberries, coffee & chocolate... at least in my humble opinion.  I've made this meal twice now and this time around I included avocado. 

If I had to answer the question, "what is your favorite type of food?"... I would probably have to say "Mexican.

This dish combines my favorite things about Mexican cuisine.  To me, that is combinations of flavors and textures... hot and cold, creamy and crisp, fresh, vibrant... so many great food adjectives.  This dish includes earthy quinoa, spicy black beans, all topped with creamy avocado, crisp onion, and fresh tomatoes.  Cilantro is one of "those" ingredients... people either really LOVE it or HATE it. I hope you are a huge fan of cilantro, as am I, and I hope you are inspired to try out this recipe.  I would be tickled if you do and would love to hear what you think. Here's the recipe:  

CILANTRO-LIME QUINOA:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups water

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (approx. 1/3 cup before chopped)

finely grated zest of one lime, approx. 2 tsp (Microplane graters work well) ***

SPICY BLACK BEANS:

2 cans black beans (15 oz. size), rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

heaping 1/4 tsp garlic powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, & kosher salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper & crushed red pepper flakes

TOPPINGS:

*** slice the reserved lime into wedges

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced (drizzle with lime juice to prevent browning)

1/2 red onion, diced

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sized pot, over high heat, bring 1 3/4 cups water to boil.  Add rinsed quinoa and a few pinches of salt.  Return to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce temperature to low, and simmer covered for 16 to 19 minutes (or cook quinoa according to package directions).  Note:  I live at high altitude, so your cooking time may be a bit less.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, chopped cilantro, and lime zest.  Stir well to combine and set aside.

Next, in another medium sized pot, combine the beans, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce temperature to lowest setting, cover with a lid, and allow to simmer while quinoa cooks.

Dice tomatoes, avocados, and red onion; place each in individual bowls.

When quinoa is finished cooking (all liquid is absorbed), fluff with a fork; drizzle olive oil mixture over the quinoa, and stir well to combine

Serve family style.  Each person can layer quinoa and black beans on plate or in a bowl, and top as desired with diced avocados, tomatoes, and red onion.  Pass lime wedges and drizzle fresh lime juice over each serving as desired.

I just have to tell you this... my husband LOVES this dish. He is a true "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. When I made this dish the first time, I made it for me.  He came into the kitchen and said he'd like to try what I was cooking.  He ate it and went back for seconds... and suggested I make it again. I just about fell on the floor.   As for our son.... he had pizza for dinner tonight. *sigh*