Are you looking for ways to incorporate different whole grains but lack creative recipes? Here is a yummy dish that a friend recently brought for a dinner at our house.
If you are new to quinoa, it is truly an amazing food. Not actually considered a grain, but a seed, quinoa is actually a complete protein! It also contains a healthy dose of iron and is also high in B Vitamins. I have read in several places that in South America, women use it to help increase their breast milk supply!
Experiment with the recipe, adding your favorite vegetables. Served with a salad and some fruit, this is a meal in and of itself!
Creamy Quinoa Primavera
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c uncooked quinoa (soak overnight in water with 1T acidic medium for maximum nutritional benefits)
3 c chicken broth
3 oz cream cheese
1T fresh chopped basil or 1tsp dried basil
2 tsp real butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 c thinly sliced or bite-sized pieces of assorted cooked veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini…)
2T grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. In a saucepan, heat quinoa and broth to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil.
2. In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in veggies and cook about 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are crisp-tender.
3. Add the veggies to quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Salt to taste.
Today, I made this for lunch and just added a large bag of frozen mixed veggies. I sauteed them in the butter until they were crisp.
