Quinoa Stir-Fry

If you haven't jumped on the quinoa boat, it's about time you did. This ancient Aztec grain is a complete protein and really, really good for you. I can't go into it all, but you can take a look here at its nutritional profile if you're interested. Quinoa is mild-flavored and very adaptable to all sorts of recipes especially as a substitute for rice. I've been playing around with it a lot lately. Take for example this Stir-fry of Quinoa, Cashews, Pineapple, Red Pepper and Peas. Sounds weird? Well, think about it as a fried rice dish where the quinoa is a substitute for the rice. And you may have had pineapple fried rice before. I got this recipe from Veganomicon, a great vegan cookbook. Since I don't eat much dairy, I find it easier to cook from vegan cookbooks than I do many vegetarian ones.

Both I and my husband enjoyed this dish very much. Sure dear husband made faces at first, but that's to be expected when he learns he's getting a vegan dinner. But really, he was fine with it once he tasted it because it was spicy and good. There's heat from the red chile, sweetness from the pineapple chunks and the toasted cashews make it seem very indulgent for a stir-fry.

Another great thing to do with quinoa is to make a pilaf. This Quinoa-Chickpea Pilaf is also from Veganomicon. I changed the recipe up a bit by using less ground coriander, a pinch of cayenne with the cumin and using black beans instead of chickpeas. It tasted like a mexican rice and beans. This one will become a household staple. You could toss in corn, top it with salsa or just chopped cilantro, use it as a taco or burrito filling, spread it on a tostada. Sorry I didn't take a picture, but we loved it. Muy delicioso!