healthy laps

What is quinoa?  Quinoa (pronounced: KEEN-wah) is an annual herb of the goosefoot family that is cultivated for its starchy seeds which are used as food and ground into flour.  It is a high-protein whole grain which contains essential amino acids.

We love quinoa and made another delicious quinoa dinner tonight!  The prep didn’t take too long, but make sure you get the tomatoes into the oven early because they will definitely take the longest.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Splash of Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• Pinch of Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F

• Cut cherry tomatoes in half

• Place open side up in a baking dish

• Spritz or drizzle tomatoes with olive oil

• Then sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper

• Place tomatoes in oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on size.  Keep checking every so often to see if tomatoes are done.  They should be slightly wrinkled and very tender.

• Our tomatoes cooked for 30 minutes!  Let tomatoes cool before serving.

Quinoa with Vegetables

adapted from 101cookbooks.com

Serves 4-6, depending on type of dish

Ingredients:

• a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
• a pinch of fine grain sea salt
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1.5 cups rinsed quinoa
• 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/2 cups kale, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1 cup oven roasted cherry tomatoes (recipe above)

Directions:

• Place 1.5 cups of quinoa and 3 cups of water in a saucepan; bring to a boil

• Once it comes to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.  When ready, quinoa will have small spirals off of each seed.

• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and salt in a saute pan over medium heat.

• Add onion, and cook until tender.

• Add quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling.

• Once sizzling, add the kale and cook a few minutes until wilted and tender.

pre-chopped

chopped

• Then add the pesto (we used store bought, but you could make your own!) and stir until well blended.

• Once mixed, add the toasted pumpkin seeds and stir.

(place on a baking sheet, and toast for a few minutes until browned)

• Serve with oven roasted tomatoes on top!

We both loved this meal!  The pumpkin seeds gave it crunch, and the tomatoes added a little sweetness to the dish.  The pesto was not overpowering at all, just a little flavor.  Give it a try!

Does anyone have any delicious quinoa recipes that are a must try? Or is their another grain that you love?

Filed under: Cookbooks, Eating Laps, Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged: Eating Laps, grains, homemade, kale, pumpkin, quinoa, Recipes, tomatoes, whole-grain |