So as many of you know I have just recently discovered quinoa and I am quickly becoming a full fledged fan. Last night I made Creamy Quinoa Primavera and I loved it. Now if you are new to quinoa like I am the first thing you must learn is how to say it. So for clarification it is pronounced keen-wa.



There is a debate that played out on my FB page the last few days as to whether or not you should rinse quinoa. Some people rinse it to remove saponin, which can be bitter tasting and others don't rinse it and do not notice a change in flavor. Last night I tried NOT rinsing it and I thought it tasted great. So next time I will try rinsing it and I will let you know if I taste the difference.

Quinoa is also good for you as it is high in vitamin B, calcium, iron, phosphorous and magnesium. I also read somewhere that it was higher in protein than other grains/cereals. It is also gluten free so if you are trying to follow a gluten free diet this is a good alternative.

This recipe had some great ideas, but I did find that I had to tweak it a bit. The quinoa was cooked in chicken broth which gave it additional flavor and made it salty which I like. The recipe did say to cook it for 10-15 minutes and I found 20-25 minutes to be a little more accurate unless you want your quinoa on the soupy side. Once the quinoa is cooked mix in cream cheese and fresh basil. When I first read the part about the cream cheese I thought that sounded really strange but it added a creamy consistency which was a nice contrast to the fiber and crunch of the quinoa.

The recipe then calls for margarine melted in a pan and since I have sworn off margarine I used butter. Sure probably a few more calories and fat, but I just have an aversion to the margarine process. Saute garlic in the butter. I am use to sauteing in olive oil so I did find that although the recipe said to cook it for 30 seconds it took longer in the butter . Then add 5 cups of vegetables. The recipe recommended using asparagus, broccoli, carrot and zucchini. However, I wanted a little more color contrast and I wanted to throw in some veggies that I like a bit better than broccoli so I used asparagus, carrot, zucchini, mushroom and yellow bell pepper. It was a really pretty color contrast. I did find that the recipe said to cook the vegetables with the garlic mixture for 2 minutes but that just wasn't long enough unless you like all of your vegetables pretty much raw. I for one am not a fan of raw asparagus so I cooked the vegetables probably closer to 5-7 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the quinoa and serve with Romano cheese. This recipe was great. It was the perfect comfort food after running and it felt hearty even though it was vegetarian. I loved the nutty flavor of the quinoa and how it was complimented by the Romano cheese. I also loved the contrast of textures between the quinoa, the cream cheese and the vegetables. It was definitely a great recipe and it could be used as a side dish or a main course.

Here is the link for the full recipe if you would like to give this dish a try:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/creamy-quinoa-primavera/22b5e2bd-04c9-44f2-9e42-66b6b24f5d76

Yes, I know it is strange that it is a Betty Crocker recipe. However, I have learned over the years to read a recipe based on the ingredients and the technique and to be non-discriminatory about the source. This time that philosophy paid off, however I have also had the reverse occur so don't worry you are not alone.

I just want to leave you all with a quote that really hit home for me. It was an article in the Best Food Writing of 2012 and it truly summarizes how cooking and writing compliment each other. When I read this I just felt that this completely encapsulates how I feel about both.

"Since I am both a chef and a writer, I am sometimes compelled to contemplate what cooking and writing have in common. What draws me to both pursuits is the simple joy I find in making something, and I have often said that being a cook or writing a story satisfies that same impulse. We all like to make things. And since I am not particularly good with power tools, I don't make houses." -Greg Atkinson