Quinoa with Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Have I mentioned I love quinoa?  Because I do.  There is something about that little grain that I can't get enough of.  It doesn't even have to have any fancy sauce, just some plain quinoa with a bit of soy sauce will satisfy me.  The same can not be said for my family though, so in an effort to "spice" it up, I'm always looking for new ideas.

Today's recipe was derived from a Whole Foods Market recipe.  I didn't have all the ingredients required for the original, so mixed it up a bit.  I am sad to say, that while I thought it was tasty, it was not a hit with the family.  My husband hates sun-dried tomatoes, and my daughter... well I'm still trying to convince her that quinoa is good.  I will say playing with this recipe has given me ideas, so watch for more to come!

Quinoa with Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup broth (I use chicken, but vegetable would work too)
1/2 cup dry white wine
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup small broccoli florets

Heat oil over medium heat in a pot.  Add onions and garlic and cook until soft / translucent.  Add tomatoes, broth, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Stir in quinoa and salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add broccoli to top of quinoa, cover and simmer another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and gently toss to combine.  Serve and enjoy.

BBQ Pork Fried Quinoa

Not the best picture, but I shouldn't expect much more from the iphone. Anyway, this was dinner last night. We had some leftover BBQ pork meat from some ribs made earlier and I am big on reusing leftovers.

Quinoa is one of our favorite new finds. Known to the Incan's as "Mother Grain", Quinoa is an excellent replacement for rice being tastier than brown (in my opinion) and much healthier than rice in general. It also happens to be gluten free, which makes it another plus for allergy families.  Of course, if you prefer to just use rice you can.

BBQ Pork Fried Quinoa

1/2 cup BBQ Pork Meat, diced (*always check the ingredients in your BBQ sauce)

1 1/2 cup Quinoa

2 cups diced carrots and peas

2 eggs

2 Tbsp soy sauce (check ingredients for gluten/wheat items)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Cook quinoa like you do white rice (2 cups - 1 cup). In a large skillet, saute the peas and carrots until soft. Add BBQ Pork and cook for another 3 minutes , until meat is reheated. Remove skillet from heat and add cooked quinoa. In another pan, quickly scramble the eggs. Add eggs, green onions and soy sauce to quinoa mix. Stir it all up well and serve.

Simple meal, but very delicious.