Two Deliciously Easy Ways to Enjoy Quinoa!

Thursday felt like I've got this thing down! But it's hard not to feel optimistic when drinking out of a rockin' new, bright and colorful Wonder Woman mug! Ah... now I can have my roasty cup o' joe with my childhood heroine and feel invincible! I also tried out some coconut creamer - not too shabby! Breakfast, in general, was fine, but nothing to write home about - an egg, ham, and applesauce. Quick and easy - and most mornings, there's just not enough time for anything fancy.

Quinoa with Lime, Mint, Garlic, and Tomatos

Lunch, however, was one of my recently discovered all-time favorites, Organic quinoa mixed with tomatoes, red onion, garlic, fresh mint, and fresh lime juice - adapted from this Gluten Free Goddess recipe! I'm quickly growing to love quinoa! It's a nice rice and pasta replacement, with protein, but not all the starch! Here are some good tips from Bon Appetit! 

I like to cook the quinoa in a rice cooker, with a 2 to 1 water to quinoa ratio. Do yourself a favor and buy the prepackaged, pre-washed kind. One of quinoa's nifty little evolutionary tricks to try to rule the planet is that it has a bitter coating to keep critters from eating it. It's totally safe to eat, but I've tried rinsing the bulk stuff from the bin at Sprout's, and I just don't like the way it turns out. So the added price is well worth it. Here's the step-by-step recipe:

• 1 cup organic, pre-washed quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 limes
• 1-2 roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup diced red onion (use sweet onion for a more mellow taste)
• 1 good sized minced garlic clove
• 3-4 mint sprigs (wash, remove and chop mint leaves)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
• salt to taste (optional)

Instructions: Cook the quinoa in a pan (follow the directions on the package), or follow my favorite method of using a rice steamer! Simply add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water (I add a little extra splash) to the rice cooker and start it up! To keep the bottom from getting too cooked or carmelizing, keep an eye on the steamer and shut it off as soon as it stops steaming - ususally about 15 minutes in my rice cooker. If you're like me, a timer is a good idea. You don't want the quinoa mushy or crunchy - just chewy! After all, we're not making mint-lime-garlic oatmeal. You can either prep everything else while it's cooking (not a bad idea so you can keep an eye on the steamer), or you can wait and do it while the quinoa is cooling. Simply add all the chopped and minced ingredients, squeeze the fresh lime juice over it all, toss, and chill it in the fridge! Super easy! Personally, I like extra lime juice on this, and the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavors meld. This is a particularly light, but delicious salad! Servings: 4

Shrimp Pomodoro with Quinoa Linguine

Dinner was one of my husband's specialties, pasta with shrimp pomodoro. This was our first time trying quinoa pasta (linguine, to be exact)  and we both loved it! Score!

Instructions: Simply saute fresh minced garlic (1-2 cloves) and about a half cup of chopped onion in a skillet with a little olive oil until the onion is starting to turn translucent, but still fairly white. Add in 3-4 diced fresh tomatoes and cook until it's starting to turn saucy. Add in a handful of fresh, chopped basil for added flavor and serve over cooked quinoa pasta! This should make 3-4 servings, depending on who's eating, and if you're serving anything else with it. It's absolutely delicious, and great with a hearty red wine! We had a bottle of Bogle Essential Red - a heavenly combo!

That's if for now! If you try any variations on these recipes or have other tips and comments for cooking quinoa, please leave comments. Peace out!