Monday, September 13, 2010

A New Way to Serve Quinoa

I am so excited that I have found a recipe for quinoa that my whole family will eat.  Quinoa is such a nutritious whole grain that I keep trying to find a way serve it to my family.  Most of my other attempts have been rejected because some of the child members of my family object to the "earthy" like flavor of quinoa.  I am happy to report that this recipe has just enough spice to cover up that flavor and is very tasty! 

Green Bean and Quinoa Toss
4 1/2 cups frozen French-cut green beans
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
sprinkle of salt
black pepper to taste
1 3/4 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 red onion or sweet onion, finely diced
6 Tablespoons chopped almonds*

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the frozen green beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain the beans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper.  Add the green beans to the mustard mixture and toss to coat.  Add the remaining ingredients (quinoa, cheese, onion, and almonds) and stir well.  This dish can be served immediately or chilled before serving.

Note: if your children don't like the flavor of feta cheese, you can substitute another milder variety of cheese.

Crediting information:  Makes 7 servings.  Each serving is creditable for 1/4 cup of the fruit/vegetable requirement and 1 bread/bread alternate at lunch or supper for 3-5 year old children.

*can be a choking hazard for children under the age of 4.

3 comments:

  1. How do I cook dried quinoa?

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  2. Hi Sue,
    The basic recipe for cooking quinoa is 2 cups liquid to 1 cup grain. Bring the liquid to a boil (I used water but you can also use broth)in a medium saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa and stir (the quinoa needs to be rinsed to remove the bitter coating found on quinoa). Return the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and cover and simmer for about 15-18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered for a couple of minutes.

    I used about 3/4 cup of dried quinoa and 1 1/2 cups of water for this recipe and ended up with a little more than 1 and 3/4 cups cooked quinoa but I went ahead and threw in the extra quinoa anyway.

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  3. Thanks for the recipe!

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