For all the years quinoa has been a staple in our kitchen, it has never gotten boring. That's because there are so many fantastic ways to use this versatile seed, from summer salads to winter stews. And while it might not be a traditional Asian, Middle Eastern, or European ingredient, we often add quinoa to global dishes for flavor, texture, and nutritional value. In honor of Escapes month, here are seven diverse quinoa recipes to try. Share your own ideas with us in the comments.
FIRST ROW
• 1 Quinoa Tabbouleh – A quinoa version of the classic Middle Eastern salad
• 2 Marina's Chile Relleno with Pecan Cream Sauce – A spin on the traditional Mexican dish chiles en nogada
• 3 Kemp’s Quick Moroccan Stew with Quinoa "Couscous" – An easy, hearty supper from Gourmet
• 4 Japanese-Inspired Quinoa – Chocolate & Zucchini's quinoa dressed with Asian ingredients
• 5 Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù and Smoked Mozzarella – Italian-style quinoa at Gourmet
SECOND ROW
• 6 Indian-Spiced Quinoa With Chicken – A savory, healthful dish from delicious magazine
• 7 Peruvian Chupe – Australian Gourmet Traveller's recipe for a spicy South American stew
Related: How to Cook Quinoa
(Images: Emma Christensen, Marina, Stephanie Foley/Gourmet, Clotilde Dusoulier/Chocolate & Zucchini, Romulo Yanes/Gourmet, delicious, Jason Loucas/Australian Gourmet Traveller)
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I love quinoa tabbouleh! Another unique way to fix it is by toasting it in the oven and using it the same way you would use granola -- top some yogurt with it! Mmmm
What delicious ways to use quinoa! Quinoa makes a great addition to potato cakes too -- the light crunch complements the creaminess of the potato and the crunchy pan-fried exterior perfectly.
The best quinoa recipe I've ever made is Deborah Madison's quinoa salad.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/quinoa-avocado-salad-dried-fruit-toasted-almonds-lemon-cumin-vinaigrette.aspx
We also eat it for breakfast, plain with a little bit of oil or butter and salt (and a dash of hot pepper sauce for me!)
Yum Yum Yum Yum
Super Yum:
http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/quinoa-and-kale-salad/
I recently posted a recipe for a delicious tangy sweet quinoa salad with mango, chili pepper and lots of fresh parsley on my blog. I used red quinoa and it made a very pretty and colorful dish to serve!
http://strawberrypepper.com/2010/07/03/quinoa-mango-salad/
I do a take on 101 Cookbooks Wild Fried Rice, but turn it into Fried Quinoa. I usually add some shrimp or any leftover mean. It is a quick and easy weeknight meal to pull together, especially if we have leftover quinoa.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/wild-fried-rice-recipe.html
Correction: I add leftover meat, not mean.
Damn, I thought I now had some way to use my leftover Mean!
Quinoa salad with avocado, black beans, tomato and corn is a really refreshing and light.
I was cleaning out my cupboard and found some quinoa in the back and made the tabbouleh recipe last night for dinner with a few substitutions - no mint or parsley in the house, but I did have lemon thyme and oregano on the patio, so I used that instead - SO yummy! This is definitely going on the summer rotation for this heat wave we are having in the northeast!
Isn't quinoa so versatile. I like it in the Superfood Salad that London's Leon restaurant does: it's very fresh with peas, broccoli, spinach, and so on.
And quinoa is a surprising addition to these maple cookies! They are so tasty and no one would guess that they also contain parsnip and oats.