Here's me on my quinoa kick again! :) Absolutely love it after cooking it for the 1st time so I was on a lookout for more delicious combination of ingredients. This time, it's one that's quite like a Chinese Fried Rice. I may just replace the rice aspect of a fried rice with quinoa from now on. ;)
Oh yes! I just found quinoa flour in one of my local shops so I hope to do some baking with quinoa soon!!
Adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe
Ingredients (Serves 3)
100g flaked almonds
200g quinoa
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds and membrane removed, finely sliced
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
140g kale, stems removed and shredded
150ml vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soy sauce, optional
Method
Heat the oven to 180C. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until slightly golden and fragrant, stirring once, about six to eight minutes. Leave to cool.
Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. While it's cooking, warm olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onions and fry until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Throw in the kale and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the kale is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the quinoa, stir to combine. Finally add the nuts, season to taste and serve hot or cold, with a splash of soy sauce, if you like.
Ever since I started blogging, I've come across countless quinoa recipes. I've only ever had quinoa in a store bought salad so I was pretty surprised to learn that it could also be used to make cakes and cookies.
Quinoa is a recently newly discovered low fat grain that's high in protein and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron copper and phosphorus. It's definitely a good addition to one's diet!
So to start off my quinoa cooking journey, I decided on a warm Butternut squash chilli with quinoa. A recipe I adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Chilli con Carne and Olive's magazine Butternut squash chilli with quinoa recipe.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp ground cumin
1 - 2 tsp chilli powder(depending on taste. Feel free to omit this.)
1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and cubed#
100g quinoa, soaked in water for 30 mins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of red kidney beans
olive oil
Salt and Pepper
a bunch of coriander, chopped
Method
Roast butternut squash for 10 mins and boil quinoa for 10 mins.
Sweat onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add oregano, cumin, chilli powder and cook till they release their aroma.
Add partially cooked quinoa, butternut squash, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon and bay leaf,.
Simmer for about 10 mins and add red kidney beans.
Simmer for another 5 mins.
Stir in coriander, check for seasoning and serve.
