The Bombest. Quinoa. Recipe. Ever…plus a little voting thingy

Yes, you read that correctly! There I was traipsing around in my jam-jams a couple of weekends ago with no intention of whipping up anything spectacular when, whoops, I did. I made something awesome. So awesome that, despite the super huge queue of recipes that I really need to get to posting, I’m bumping this one to the top.

Well maybe not the top top, because I’m not quite done here. Speaking of those other recipes I’ve yet to post, I thought I’d do a little polling to see what ye olde readers are yearning for these days. (In case the word “yearn” is making any of you uncomfortable, I suggest you steer clear of the cookbook my mom just got me for Christmas, 50 Shades of Chicken. It’s all about yearning and trussing and moist thighs. Still with me? If so, maybe the book is for you, after all. On top of being a pretty awesome little recipe collection, it’s fabulously funny in an uncomfortable, dirty-talkin’ chicken kind of way.)

Back to whatever. Oh yeah, polling. So I thought it’d be fun to list a few of the recipes I’ve got stored up, and then you can tell me which one (or ones, it’s not exactly a science) you’re itching to see up here next. Fun, right? In the case that I receive zero feedback (totes possible), I’ll just pick at random. Ready……go!

So, like, which recipe(s) are you lusting after?

  • Coconut Curry Cod with Kale & Carrots (tongue twista!)
  • Shredded Brussie Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Crunchy Oven-Fried Ravioli
  • Chickenless (Udon) Noodle Soup
  • Smokey Roasted Brussies with Lemon & Parmesan
  • Pan-Roasted Lamb Loin Chops with Pan Drippings & Tomato Tapenade

Just drop your preference in the comments, and maybe it’ll light that fire, eh?

Ok, so now on to the Real Deal, this super awesome quinoa thang that will have you eating quinoizzle for breakfast, lunch and din. I know what you’re thinking: no way is it THAT good. And here’s the thing: it is. I’m not going to say that the recipe ends here. You can, and should, still dress your quinoa up with fresh herbs, roasted veggies, a topping of garlicky prawns, some slivered almonds — And All That Jazz! But as a base, and a vegetarian base at that (read: no chicken stock required!), this cannot be beat. It reigns above all other blah quinoas.

And speaking of reigning, just call me the Queenoa.
YES.

TruRoots_Quinoa

Our quinoa of choice, TruRoots, available at Costco(!). www.truroots.com

The Bombest Basic Quinoa. Ever.
Cook time: 30-45 mins | Serves 4 as a side

Note: Hmm, seems like I wrote some comments up there that could probably go here re: suggestions for toppings, etc. See what you miss if you just skim to the recipe?

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • water

Instructions

Add quinoa to a rice cooker and wash thoroughly. (If you’ve not done this before, treat it just like rice — fill up your rice cooker pot with plenty of water, add your quinoa, whisk the whole thing around with a pair of chopsticks, drain water off, repeat.) To ensure maximum fluffiness, fill rice cooker with water just shy of the 2-cup line. Add sea salt and bay leaves and cook until rice cooker pops. If your rice cooker has a “warm” setting, allow the quinoa to remain on this setting for 10-20 minutes to draw out any remaining moisture. Use as a base for any number of quinoa recipes, or enjoy on its own. It’s savory, aromatic and just salty enough. Perfection, in my book.

Coconut Curry Cod with Kale & Carrots
Recipe: Parmesan-roasted baby kale & cheddar quesadilla (kale-sadilla?)

20 Comments on “The Bombest. Quinoa. Recipe. Ever…plus a little voting thingy”

  1. Our trivia night team was once called Kee-noa because I apparently didn’t know how to pronounce it. Embarrassing…

    I vote for the other brussel sprout recipe! Shredded Brussie Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette!

    1. I’m sure I had no idea how to pronounce it before it became all mainstream (which in my world means it hits the shelves at Trader Joe’s) so you’re not alone! And I love this Brussels Sprouts salad, so I’m rooting for it, too (but shhhhh, don’t tell!).

  2. I’D LIKE THE COCONUT CURRY ONE…. CUZ I SHOULD LEARN HOW TO NOT USE THE STUFF IN THE JAR, EVEN THOUGH IT IS PRETTY YUMMY… ALSO… SHOULDN’T YOU BE COOKING YOUR CHICKENLESS NOOODLE SOUP FOR YOUR COLD, DEAR? PUT A SWEATER ON! AND ATTACK YOUR COLD WITH SALTY POTATO CHIPS AND CARBONATION!

    YOUR MOTHER (YO MAMA)

  3. Coconut Curry Cod please! Unless of course you think your Brussies will bring me to the LOVE side of the Brussie fence then cout me in on the Brussie train (too much? I’ll stop).

    1. Thanks Rach! And actually, Chris is fairly certain that the Brussie (never too much!) salad would convert even the most anti-BS’ers. We shall see…

    1. Knew it. I’ll give the voting through the end of today, 1/17, before posting the winning recipe. Rest assured (as if you were all losing sleep), they’ll all make it up here…eventually.

  4. I find it terrible hard to choose just one recipe. So, I’ve picked three:
    – Crunchy Oven-Fried Ravioli
    – Chickenless (Udon) Noodle Soup
    – Smokey Roasted Brussies with Lemon & Parmesan

    YUMMMMMMM.

    1. I knew you’d be the tricky one, Miss Emily. I can’t deny they all sound particularly tempting, even at 9:30am…but then I’ve never been one for traditional breakfast foods. We shall see!

    1. Thanks Carolyn. And there aren’t a lot of opportunities to be Queen (let alone a pun-spired Queen), so I take ’em where I can!

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