Quinoa has always been a superfood I have wanted to like and eat. I have never had the palate for quinoa however, due to bland preparations of it that I have made or been served. Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, with tons of fiber, iron, and many other important nutrients (View my earlier piece on the 7 Benefits of Quinoa: The Supergrain of the Future). Who would not want to reap the benefits of this amazing healthy superfood?
A couple of weeks ago, I finally cracked the code of how to make quinoa tasty. It happened after I went to New York City’s Balaboosta, an amazing NYC Mediterranean restaurant in Nolita. Balaboosta’s quinoa dish was the most delicious of the quinoa preparations I have ever had. Balaboosta nailed the bowl of golden quinoa with dried cranberries, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and preserved lemon.
After my quinoa success at Balaboosta, I set out on a an adventure to master a very simple, easy to make, and quick side dish of outstanding quinoa at home that could be served alongside any vegetable. With great contentment I mastered the wonderful quinoa grain and am now hooked!
I hope you enjoy my vegan/vegetarian quinoa meals and expand on my recipes to experiment with your own. There are few things more fun than experimental creative cooking and the challenge of finding ways to make healthy foods we might not at first find tasty, into favorites! My quinoa meals left me feeling full, clean, and strong like the Inca warriors! Thanks to quinoa, my diet has reached a new level of health. I look forward to evolving beyond this one side dish. With cooking as in life, I feel that it is often important to move slowly, one step at a time.
1. Buckwheat Quinoa With Walnuts
(You can use any kind of quinoa including red quinoa, black quinoa, golden quinoa…etc. but I love this one)
What You Need
- Buckwheat quinoa
- Smart Balance (There are many different kinds of Smart Balance but you can also substitute this with other healthy oils or flavorings)
- Salt
- Sautéed garlic
- Walnuts, chopped (optional amount)
How To Make
Place 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a pot. Set your flame to high until the water boils. Once the water is boiled, add 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance (or your alternative), walnuts, and salt to flavor. Cover your part and let cook for 12-15 minutes. Keep checking your pot to make sure the quinoa does not overcook or burn. It might need a stir or two while cooking. When the seeds become translucent and light, fluff the quinoa with a spoon or fork.
2. Roasted Eggplant with Pesto, Whole Pine Nuts, Garlic And A Side Of Buckwheat Quinoa
What You Need(1 Serving)
- 1 Medium Sized Eggplant
- Pine Nuts
- Garlic
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Pesto
- Salt
How To Make
Roast a whole medium eggplant drizzled with olive oil in the oven at 425 degrees on the top rack for about 30-minutes. Make sure to turn the eggplant so that the skin does not burn. Once the eggplant is soft all the way through, remove it from the oven. Add a fine quality homemade or store bought pesto (I bought mine). Make a slice down the center of your eggplant and separate the two sides of it keeping the base together. Carefully pull the eggplant meat away from the skin with a spoon and mash it. Add whole pine nuts mixing them in with the eggplant. Add your sautéed garlic (lightly cooked in a pan with olive oil). Top with a pinch of chopped garlic and salt (if you feel it needs the salt). Serve with a side of quinoa.
In my photograph you see a spear of broccoli I added to this dish for color to make a more artful presentation. I feel the presentation of a plate always adds to the quality of a meal (On Iron Chef American, judges examine presentation as the second category after taste of ingredient to determine how good a dish is and it is is worth 10 points!) I love this vegetarian dinner and after the first time I made it I felt as though I was suddenly in vegetarian heaven! The quinoa was the perfect accompaniment to my eggplant.
3. Sautéed Zucchini and Shitake Mushrooms With Buckwheat Quinoa
What You Need (1 Serving)
- 1 Medium Zucchini cut into small triangles
- Shitake Mushrooms
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
How to Make
This recipe could not be easier to make and is very light and healthy. Sautée your zucchini and mushrooms with olive oil until both are golden. Make your quinoa as instructed above. Serve the vegetables with the quinoa beside them. This is the perfect vegan dinner, clean, filling, excellent, and completed in 15-minutes!
1. Soft Seitan Taco with Asparagus, Mushrooms, Cheese, With A Side Of Quinoa
What You Need
- Green Asparagus
- Mixed Mushrooms
- 1 Small Corn Tortilla
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Grated Cheese (any kind you like or a mix)
How To Make
Sautée your asparagus and mushrooms in olive oil until golden. Place your tortilla in a separate pan and lightly warm (careful that it does not get too crispy) both sides of it. Add your cheese to your tortilla placing a top over your pan to speed up the melting of the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, place your asparagus and mushrooms on top of the taco. Plate the taco with a side of your quinoa. This makes for a slightly more decadent meal, which is totally worth it!
Read this article on MindBodyGreen
Toasting the quinoa in a dry pan over medium heat for 5 minutes before cooking brings out the natural nuttiness of the grain!
I have felt the same way about quinoa until I started cooking it with fruit juices and that has made all the difference in flavor…just food for thought;).
PS. Love the sound of the ones you shared here and I can not wait to try
Add a cinnamon stick, a touch of local honey, and a taste of real vanilla to Quinoa during cooking for a lovely (and healthy) dessert!
Thank you Sandy! I will definitely try this. Seems like I would add more water, maybe coconut milk or something, to make it more like a pudding? Now I’ll have to research, which I look forward to doing:)
Best,
Julie
Great ideas to work Quinoa as a dynamic side dish, Julie. I’ve had a lot of success treating the super-grain like the kind of unflavored cous-cous you can get at most organic-first markets. I almost always rinse and then toast it over a very thin film of heated EVOO in a non stick pan. It really does bring out the nutty flavors (this is also general practice for me with nearly all grains including, barley, exotic rices, pearl cous-cous, farro, etc.). Then if going savory, I frequently incorporate Tumeric for color, flavor and essential nutrients. If going sweet aka as a breakfast grain, I’ll work cinnamon, nutmeg and a very small amount of brown sugar or honey into it. As a side with a bit of both aka something Umami-ish, I integrate dried fruits such as raisons, cranberries or currants etc as well as toasted nuts, garlic, softened onions or shallots and maybe even diced roasted veggies. I’ve even worked crisped diced pancetta into Quinoa for a more hearty side dish. In my experience, there’s no need for precise recipes with this stuff.. once cooked, you can incorporate additional flavors into a cooled batch, so testing along the way is easy. It’s a “have fun & experiment” base ingredient, which is why I suppose I differ from prior posts.. the intrinsic flavor and texture to Quinoa is a can’t lose proposition – I don’t find there to be so precious.. it’s integral flavor and texture is great!
I cook my quinoa then in the middle of it cooking i put some olive oil in a pan with garlic, tomatoless salsa, corn, whatever veggies you would like, and saute them for a bit. when the quinoa is practically dry i mix it in with some sriracha and the veggies and top it off with a cut up half avocado. it is such a yummy “mexican quinoa.” or try quinoa made with chicken (or vege) broth and saute crimini mushrooms garlic and spinach and scallions. mix the quinoa in and add 1/2 cup grated parmesan and a spoonful of creme fraiche! the yummiest quinoa for “a special day
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Sounds awesome. Will definitely note this in my cookbook and give a try!
Thank You!
Julie, you often refer to quinoa as ‘buckwheat quinoa’? It is my understaning that quinoa has nothing to do with buckwheat.
Try it for breakfast or bedtime comfort with bananas and prunes, a dash of raw honey and natural yoghurt or raw milk with cinnamon on top.
Hi Lily- I’m referring to a combo of the two. I’ll try your suggestions. Send me your exact recipes please! Can’t wait.
Julie
I wasn’t a fan of quinoa either until I found what made it taste good to me. That is, cook quinoa like normal. In a pan combine desired amount of red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, onion, potato (diced in small cubes) saute in EVOO. When almost done with the saute, add in some reduced sodium soy sauce, let that soak in a minute or two and then serve over the quinoa. Serve with fresh baked bread and vegan butter.
Thanks Mandy! Sounds yummy. I’ll have to try it. I look forward to more submissions from you and everyone else!
I had quinoa a few years ago in soup. I recently was looking for an alternative to brown rice and bought some. I love the flavour of it plain. I made a delicious quinoa tabouli – recipe on the package of Bob’s Red Mill quinoa. It is great as is or mix in some diced tomatoes and avocado prior to eating.
I just made a breakfast/dessert by adding coconut milk, raisins, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg to about 2 cups cooked quinoa. Mmmmmm…..
Yum! I love cardamom!!! I had a coconut cardamom pudding recipe from a vegan chef who cooked some dishes for me years ago. I need to find it and post because I’ve though on many occasions it’s a must share recipe. That said, now I have your concoction to try. And it’s funny that you mention quinoa in soup because I’m not big on grains in soups but recently had one from Le Pain Quotidian, which had quinoa in and I thought, hmm, nice:)
I’m new to a vegan diet and am also avoiding gluten (not medically necessary). Has anyone experience in making quinoa flour and baking with it? Can’t wait to try some of the recipes found here! Thanks.
Hi Julie
I just found your blog via an article you wrote in Forbes. Thanks for this great recipe, it is definitely on my ‘must cook’ list.
I have been using quinoa for a while now and I love it. I have replaced rice, pasta and burghul with quinoa and feel better for it.
My favorite recipe is quinoa and pomegranate salad and every single person that has had it has asked me for the recipe. I have posted it on my blog here http://www.lifestylemenu.com/pomegranate-and-quinoa-salad/
For people who don’t do dairy the fetta can be replaced with lightly fried tempeh. It is delicious either way.
Excellent!