Quinoa

My quinoa salad is cold with cucumbers and tomatoes tossed with italian dressing.

Or as a basic side dish--quinoa cooked in veggie or chicken stock instead of plain water.

I have it for breakfast mixed with a little whole milk and a scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder. Great way to get your carbs and jack up the protein.

I absolutely LOVE anything Greek-Inspired, and quinoa, cous cous, or whole-wheat pastas pair wonderfully with those type of flavors. The following, combined to make a salad, is heaven in a bowl.. !

Quinoa
Feta Cheese
Cocktail Tomatoes
Dill Spice
Kalamata Olives
Grilled Chicken or Tofu
+ Favorite Choice of Seasonings!

My favorite way is in a cold salad. In fact, I'm having quinoa salad for lunch today.

White quinoa, one can of organic tri-beans (black, pinto, kidney) and chopped onion, pak choi, carrot, celery, and green bell pepper. Dressed with a mix of lime juice, evoo, jalapeño hot sauce and dried herbs.

That's what I do too. It tastes almost like chicken noodle but better. I eat this for almost all of my lunches

These are good for snacks or to take to parties. They can be frozen, too.

Quinoa Pizza Bites
Makes 40 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices (1/2 of a 7 oz bag)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
Pizza sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 5 bites Calories - 175, Fat - 10g, Protein - 9g, Fiber - 2g, Calcium - 10mg, Carbs - 12g

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites
Makes 24 bites

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (we used Frank's)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Ranch or Blue cheese dressing for dipping, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 4 bites Calories - 109, Fiber - 1, Fat - 4, Protein - 8, Calcium - 6, Carbs - 11

Cheesy Quinoa Bites
Makes 28 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, flour, salt and pepper.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Calories 130 for 4 bites.

Spinach Parmesan Quinoa Bites
Makes 30 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup diced onion
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Dash of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Ham & Cheese Quinoa Bites
Makes 3 dozen bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup finely diced ham
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup panko
1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each) and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Quinoa Bites
Makes 36 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
2 stalks green onion, diced
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
3/4 cup finely diced ham
3/4 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 4 bites Calories - 131, Fiber - 1g, Fat - 6g, Protein - 10g, Calcium - 11g, Carbs - 9

Quinoa is a majority of my lunches at work. I usually will make a batch over the weekend, pack it in to go containers and bring it to work on Monday. This is a good guess, but:

Rough chop:
2 Red Peppers
1 Onion (I usually just get Spanish for Quinoa)
4 - 6 Celery Stalks
4 - 6 Cloves of Garlic (because I love the stuff)
1 - 2 Seranno Peppers (depending on your spice tolerance)

I'll saute this in a little oil until onions are translucent over medium heat in a pot.

Add 3 cups of chicken broth and 3 Tbs curry powder, 1 Tbs cumin, 1 Tbs salt, and 1 Tbs pepper.
Mix for a couple of moments.

Add 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups of Quinoa (I happen to use CostCo's pre-washed Quinoa). I put 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 because some people like the Quinoa moist with a little sauce. Obviously if you use the smaller amount there will be a little liquid left in the pot.

Mix frequently until it comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover for 20 minutes.

You can eat it like this or add canned beans, drained (I like Goya black beans), to the mix.

Let me know how you like it

This sound delicious!! I usually just make it plain and then have it as a side with dinner (and add different spices depending on the meal)!

I like to make quinoa bowls, topped with cooked squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. My favorite!

Bump...thanks for the yummy ideas!