Adventures With Quinoa

So.

I've heard a lot about this cool grain called quinoa. Some of the info has come from my aunt and dad who are both celiac. Some has come from nutritional books. Some has come from studying how to eat higher protein meals for David's hypoglycemia.  All sources say the same thing. Quinoa is amazing.

Now I have to admit, when health magazines start touting how great something tastes, I usually have a small part of me that wonders.....hmmmm, does it REALLY taste good? AND I've tasted some gluten-free foods of my dad that leave a lot to be desired.

Well, today I bought a BIG container of quinoa from Costco - I'd read enough things and received a couple of recipes to help me take the plunge into Quinoa Land.  (by the way, it's pronounced keen-wah)  Quinoa is a gluten-free grain. It kind of tastes like couscous, same size and shape, and it only takes about 15 minutes to cook up.  It is also VERY high in protein, unlike rice or other grains, which are mostly starch/carbs.  And after trying out a recipe for a quinoa side-dish, I'M HOOKED!!! It tastes SO good! And it mixes with other ingredients really well.  SO here's the recipe that I found tonight. Be forewarned, I'm probably going to post more recipes as I find our favorites. This recipe was found on AllRecipes.com (with a few modifications from myself due to not having a couple of things)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried because.....it was what I had)
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used ground thyme, again because it was what I had)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 small onion, finely chopped  (was out of this too......did dried minced onion)
• 1 dash fresh lemon juice (optional)
• one large mushroom, diced - my own addition!

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa, and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
2. In a bowl, toss quinoa together with garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and onion (and mushroom). Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.