Crazy for Quinoa
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 4:56PM 
By Colleen Boyd
Like most people with a tight schedule and long work days, the last thing I want to do when I come home is spend a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner. Recently I’ve rediscovered the versatility of quinoa; a delicious, quick cooking, and easy to prepare grain-like edible seed.
Quinoa is packed with protein, and is a good source of iron and other minerals, making it a great addition to salads, soups, veggie burgers, breads, and all sorts of baked goods. My favorite way to use leftover quinoa is to add it to a whole wheat waffle batter, a special breakfast to enjoy on my days off.
This ancient grain isn’t only a side dish anymore! Here I’ve mixed quinoa with a few simple ingredients and spices to make a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. You can customize this recipe by adding or omitting as many vegetables as you like, or even throw in leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.
For a hearty burrito variation, I like to add large cuts of mushroom, zucchini, bell pepper, and steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower to the quinoa mixture; then roll it up in a whole wheat tortilla.
If you have any leftovers, add to scrambled eggs to help jump-start your day or toss with baby greens and your favorite vinaigrette for a light lunch. Or mix with a little whole wheat flour, cornstarch and lime juice and form patties and pan-fry for a veggie burger dinner. (Use quinoa flour, or bean flour if you want to keep it gluten-free.)
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Quinoa Tacos
Makes 8 servings
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced yellow onion (¼ inch dice)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño peppers
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
½ cup diced zucchini
½ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
8 corn tortillas
Lime wedges
Thinly sliced avocado
Shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add garlic, jalapeño and grated lime peel. Cook an additional minute until fragrant. Add zucchini; cook 2 more minutes. Add pepper, cayenne, onion powder, chili powder and salt; toss to coat vegetable and cook another 30 seconds before adding quinoa and black beans. Turn heat to low, constantly tossing to heat through evenly and prevent sticking.
Warm corn tortillas in a low oven or dry sauté pan. Or wrap four tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave until heated through, about 30 to 40 seconds; repeat for second batch.
For each serving: spoon ⅓ cup of the quinoa mixture in the center of a warmed corn tortilla. Top with sliced avocado, shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve immediately.
Note: If you’re not a fond of spicy food, remove the ribs (the white part) and seeds from the jalapeño before chopping and/or reduce the amount of chili powder in this recipe. To kick up spice in this recipe add ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
Recipe by Colleen Boyd
Colleen Boyd is on a mission to prove to all naysayers that health food doesn’t have to taste like cardboard! That a balanced diet is achievable on any type of budget or busy schedule. Colleen is currently the pastry assistant for Bar Bambino, Cafe & Wine Bar, located in the Mission District of San Francisco. She attended The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California in San Francisco, where she excelled in the kitchen and bakeshop. As an aspiring writer, Colleen hopes to take her passion for all things pastry and culinary on the road, documenting her experiences from small cities to big countries.
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Reader Comments (1)
hi,
Cooking is an art, it is a slow learning process. One needs to learn the taste of food by practicing. After office hours they can make it home and preparing the dishes is very healthier and eager to eat. The above said dish is full of energy. This will be nice for children. The process to prepare is very easy.
Cuisine Tech