Quinoa Three Ways

During our visit to ABQ, I ended up mentioning quinoa, which my family hadn't heard of yet. It's an "ancient" grain from South America, and it's become very trendy lately. Mark and I first tried it a couple years ago, but I burned it, and it was awful, and we hadn't tried again until this fall. We were on a very restrictive medical diet (which we're not following anymore, but which did introduce us to some new foods and habits we are still using). Anyway, quinoa was one of only 3 grains we were allowed to eat (the others were buckwheat and amaranth). Needless to say, we found ourselves quite willing to give it another try, and I'm so glad we did. Here are three ways to eat quinoa--not recipes so much as ideas, each with rather unlimited variations!

1. Breakfast

The restrictions on grains meant that I couldn't eat my default breakfast of cold cereal with milk (dairy was also out on this diet...). We did have hot buckwheat cereal (think oatmeal meets cream of wheat) and eggs, but I was really craving my old standby. I'd seen recipes online for breakfast quinoa, and decided to try it myself.

This one's really simple: just cook a batch of quinoa according to the package directions (usually rinse it, then bring 1C quinoa and 2C water to a boil, then simmer till the liquid is all absorbed, about 20-30 minutes). One batch makes 4-5 breakfast servings for me, and I cook it in the evening ahead of time.

Then, in the morning, I just scoop out about a cup of the quinoa and add whatever toppings I have on hand and am in the mood for. Pour on some milk (I happen to prefer almond milk with the flavor of quinoa, but dairy milk works, too), and it's homemade cereal! I love that I can avoid all added sugars and have a wholesome, minimally processed breakfast. Despite the fact that we're not following the strict medical diet, I haven't felt the need to go back to boxed cereals--this is way better!

Here are some of my favorite topping combos, some more healthy than others, but variety keeps things interesting. :-) The basic idea is fruit (dried, fresh, or frozen--no sugar added) + nuts + spices. These flavors also work well in steel-cut oats, which I prepare in batches as well, just adding toppings and heating in the microwave in the morning.

• raisins, dates, walnuts, cinnamon
• bananas, walnuts, cinnamon
• strawberries and/or blueberries, sliced almonds
• apples, walnuts, cinnamon
• kiwi, blackberries
• coconut, almonds, cocoa powder (if you use unsweetened coconut, you might want to add a bit of honey; alternately, you can use chocolate chips instead of the cocoa powder). 

2. Lunch

Instead of sandwiches for lunch, we have been eating more salads. A quinoa-veggie salad is a nice change of pace from lettuce-based salads. For this option, quinoa that's been cooked in chicken (or veggie) broth is the most flavorful, though quinoa cooked in water certainly works as well.

This meal is also a great way to clean out the fridge! Basically, just mix up the quinoa with chopped vegetables, top with a bit of salad dressing (balsamic vinaigrette and Italian work well). For crunch, add some sunflower seeds. For some creaminess, add some avocado. For the veggies, I like tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, sugar snap peas, etc.

3. Dinner

Quinoa also works well in pilaf-style side dishes, served hot. Here are two combos we've enjoyed:

quinoa (cooked in apple juice or water), diced apple, green onion, and pecans
quinoa (cooked in broth), broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds