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.

Have you been looking for some ways to incorporate quinoa into your diet that your whole family will enjoy?  Today’s feature is a wonderful quinoa breakfast cereal recipe that has been a hit at my house for the past several months.  I don’t know about you, but hot breakfast cereals are a comfort food to me, and I could eat them all year round (and often times, do!).  Quinoa is packed with good nutrients that make this a hearty, nourishing breakfast you’ll feel good about serving your family.

As with most other grains, if you soak the quinoa overnight, it will be easier to digest and rich in enzymes that are released during the soaking process.  The recipe calls for one cup of cooked quinoa, so this is the part you want to soak.  After cooking it in the morning, you will add the remaining ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this quinoa breakfast cereal and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 c cooked quinoa (2/3 c quinoa and 1 1/3 c water with 1 T of yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk to soak overnight)

2 c milk

½ c chopped walnuts

½ c raisins

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

Maple syrup to taste

Directions:

1. Soak quinoa overnight and cook in the morning.
2. Combine milk with quinoa and cook until the liquid has been mostly absorbed.
3. Add remaining ingredients, serve into bowls and enjoy!