Book Review: Cooking With Quinoa For Dummies & Two Dinner Recipes

Maybe it is good I learned to love quinoa…there have been a bumper crop of cookbooks coming out and this year is showing to not slow down either. I have two I have worked though and the first is Cooking with Quinoa For Dummies:

Written by Cheryl Forberg, RD,and released in December, it is a nice start for anyone staring at a box of quinoa – because they have been told they should “try it”, but haven’t a clue as to where start. Well, as I have noted before, things like this would have been good for me a few years ago. I wasted plenty of quinoa and learned the hard (and expensive) ways to have delicious recipes with it. So maybe others can avoid that lesson…..

Badly prepared whole grains/seeds can be a real bummer (the compost bin has had a few dinners from me….) but if one has a guide to walk them through, they can go so far. This is a great reference book explaining the history (The Spaniards nearly wiped it out in the 1500’s), how nutritious it is (complete protein, gluten-free and so on), stocking a healthier kitchen and then it gets down to what I like most – the recipes. There is a delightful section just for us plant-based diet types, full of vegan and vegetarian friendly recipes. Beyond that, there are plenty of “accidentally” veg-friendly recipes and more so, very adaptable ones. And…the recipes are all gluten-free as well. If you have a chance, check the book out.

The simplicity of this recipe caught my eye. I cooked the quinoa in broth, as it gives it so much flavor that way and took the author’s suggestion to top it with poached eggs. Delicious. Simple. Rustic. Loved it!

Asian Quinoa Saute (As adapted from page 221)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red quinoa (Inca Red)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and diced (any color)
• ¼cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• 4 to 8 fresh eggs, poached
• Pecorino Romano  cheese, finely grated

Directions:

If your quinoa isn’t marked “pre-washed”, rinse it in a fine mesh strainer. Add it and the broth to a medium saucepan, bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil over medium-high in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add the bell peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the peppers are almost cooked through

Sprinkle the spices on, toss and add in the quinoa. Saute for a few minutes longer. Add the cilantro and salt, if desired.

Serves topped with poached eggs and cheese, if desired.

To poach eggs:

Crack each egg into a custard dish/ramekins or small bowl.

Fill a large skillet with about 2″ deep of water and a food splash of white vinegar, bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low.

Hold each egg close to the water (slipping an edge under the water helps) and slide the egg into the water.

Simmer until the white is firm and the yolks as done as you like (I like semi-runny, Kirk doesn’t, so I took mine out and kept his in for a few extra minutes.)

Serves 4.

Instead of fried rice…fried quinoa? I can say now I prefer this! The recipe is very simple, my adaptations included spices, black sesame oil, a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies and more eggs, to round it. No leftovers either…always a good sign! I served it with ripe avocado slices.

Garlic Fried Quinoa (As adapted from page 220)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 eggs
• 4 tsp water
• 2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil, divided
• Fresh garlic, minced (used half a head)
• 1 tsp dried ginger
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil (used black)
• 16-ounce bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
• Soy sauce or Tamari sauce, gluten-free if needed
• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, if desired

Directions:

If your quinoa isn’t marked “pre-washed”, rinse it in a fine mesh strainer. Add it and the broth to a medium saucepan, bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and fluff, and let sit for 20 minutes, or while you stir-fry the vegetables.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. Beat the eggs with the water and a pinch of fine sea salt. Swirl 2 teaspoons of the oil in the pan, add in eggs and cook like a pancake, lifting as needed to allow unset egg to run under. Flip over when golden on bottom, cook until golden on other side. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool a bit, then slice into slivers.

return skillet to heat, add in remaining oil and garlic, cook for a minute. Add in sesame oil, ginger and red pepper flakes, then vegetables, stir-frying until tender.

Add in quinoa, continue to stir-fry. Drizzle in a Tablespoon of soy sauce, shaking to coat. Add egg and take off heat.

Serve with sweet chili sauce over the top, if you like heat (which we do)

Serves 4.

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received a copy of the book for potential review.