Cheesy Quinoa Pilaf with Spinach

This recipe is so good. Quinoa is my favorite grain and this is a great way to prepare it. Serve with chicken or salmon.

Why you should eat it:
Its
protein content is very high (12%–18%) and unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights

Pretty groovy.


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1-1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese
*This makes 4 servings but I usually fiddle with the amounts. I use less oil, seeds, and cheese and more spinach. Add the lemon to taste because it might be too strong for some*
  1. Rinse the quinoa with cold water until no froth remains. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, and cook until the quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a mesh strainer, and rinse until cold; set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in the sunflower seeds, and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cooled quinoa and spinach; cook and stir until the quinoa is hot, and the spinach has wilted. Stir in the lemon juice, and all but a pinch of the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

Try it! Iz goud.

2 comments:

Meg said...

My, that does sound good. I got a senior discount at the rec center here in Allen, so I've been exercising. Might as well eat better too!

Ami said...

MMMM.... I just made it for dinner. Had to substitute pepitas for sunflower seeds and feta for parm (just sprinkled that on top at the end). GOOD.