Healthy and Tasty Quinoa Recipes

Quinoa is mild, earthy, nutty and goes well with so many ingredients it would be near impossible to list them all. Use it instead of rice as a side, or add it to meat and vegetables to create tasty quinoa recipes.

Quinoa is technically not a grain, it is a dried fruit from the Chenopodium herb family. It has three main varieties and the texture, color and flavor differ dramatically. Quinoa seeds of higher quality have a more delicate the flavor. Look for very light and tiny seeds. The bigger, darker seeds have a bittersweet taste.

The shelf life of quinoa is approximately one month because the seed is rich in essential oils which makes it a prime target for spoilage. You'll be able to keep quinoa longer if you store in the refrigerator.

Spicy Quinoa Surprise

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1T olive oil

1/2 tablespoon chana masala

1/2 tablespoon coriander powder

1 cup quinoa

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

1 tomato, chopped

frozen green beans, chopped

frozen corn

herbs such as rosemary and parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. Saute the onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until the onions start to brown.

2. Add spices, stir. Reduce heat to simmer for one minute, then turn off.

3. In a pot, add quinoa, vegetable broth, water tomato, onion/garlic mix, green beans and corn and turn to high heat until water starts to boil.

4. Reduce to medium heat, add the rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper and stir. Then cook covered until liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes), checking periodically.

Ready in 35 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Quinoa Choco Chip Cookies

1/2 cup Earth Balance OR 1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup vegan raw sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

3 tablespoons water or soy milk

3/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup All-Purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or just use 1 cup All-Purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In a food processor, grind quinoa to a powder (it may not completely grind down, and that's OK, it makes the cookies crunchy!).

3. Grind the oats. Add quinoa and oats to a bowl, then add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix.

4. Cream together Earth Balance (or oil) and sugars. Add in flax seeds, water or soy milk, and vanilla.

5. Add dry ingredients to the wet, in batches, beating the mixture to incorporate the dry ingredients. A splash of soy milk at this point does get everything together, so you can use that.

6. Add in the chocolate chips and mix in.

7. Drop by the spoonful on cookie sheets (I find that a silpat helps with removal after baking) and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 F. You can bake this for as short as 10 minutes and they get really crunchy. If you prefer softer cookies, you may want to bake them for a shorter amount of time.

Ready in less than 25 minutes. Makes 30 medium cookies.