My 2 Favorite Quinoa Recipes

Quinoa is simple and healthy… It cooks up in about 15 minutes in water or broth. Which is fine! But for a change of pace, why not add in a few extra ingredients for some variety?

My 2 favorite quinoa recipes are easy and only require 4 ingredients (not counting water)!

But first, a few facts about quinoa:

Quinoa is:

• Gluten-free
• Actually a seed but cooks up like a whole grain
• Quick cooking (15 minutes)
• Considered a complete protein (1/4 cup dry, before cooking=6g)
• High in fiber and iron
• A good source of B vitamins and magnesium

Now that we know a little more about it, let’s move on to the recipes…

Sweet Coconut Red Curry Quinoa

A little spicy, a little sweet and a lot of fantastic flavor! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
• 5 medjool dates (more or less, depends how sweet you like it)

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and coconut milk to a boil.
• Chop dates and add them to pot.
• Stir in the red curry. 
• Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa

This was something I made on The Rhode Show when I was a Nutrition Excellence Coach for Whole Foods Market:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan, bring water, quinoa and raisins to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for 12 minutes.
• Stir in apple.
• Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Stir in peanut butter.  Sometimes I add cinnamon too.  Serve warm.

🌟 As you can see, quinoa is a versatile food!

✔️ Try eating the Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa for breakfast or lunch paired with a yogurt. Or get creative: Start with a bowl of plain quinoa and eat it like you would oatmeal, adding in nuts, seeds and fruit. Quinoa even makes a great salad topper.

✔️  Try the Coconut Red Curry Quinoa as a side dish to go with seafood, chicken, beef or tofu along with a cooked vegetable like broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard or spinach.