Emerald Quinoa

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 in Food, Gluten Free, Sides, Vegetarian

I've sung the praises of quinoa before. Yet I'm tempted to sing them again.

It's just really such a super food. And it's full of tummy-satisfying protein. And it's healthy. And I love it.

But I'm sure you gathered that by now.

Today I share a recipe for something I call Emerald Quinoa.

Emerald quinoa

It's a super simple little dish – quinoa, lots of chopped parsley, lots parmesan cheese, and a few touches of butter and salt to give it a glow.

I based this (very loosely) off of the Emerald Rice recipe in Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso cookbook. Which is a great cookbook – I love it – but in it, she waxes poetic about being obsessed with food and eating constantly and she's gotta weigh like a buck oh five. If she didn't seem so likeable, I'd hate her. 

This recipe is great for the Hunger Challenge – low cost, high payoff. We're enjoying it in our Days 2, 3, and 4 menus. We'll see if I'm still so in love with quinoa after Day 4.

Emerald Quinoa

Adapted from Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 small bunch (about a cup or cup and a half) fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated (Microplane zesters work wonders), plus another 1/2 cup or so for topping
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Rinse and cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool a tad.
  2. Mix in the parsley, 1 cup parmesan cheese, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Pour into an oven-safe casserole dish.
  4. Top with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

    Ready to bake

  5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 – 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and it begins to brown just slightly on top.
  6. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Yummy emerald quinoa all done

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This post was written by who has written 267 posts on The Hazel Bloom.

3 Responses to “Emerald Quinoa”

  1. Tiffany Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8:39 AM #

    Please excuse my ignorance, but what the heck is Quinoa????

    [Reply]

  2. Kare Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 9:26 AM #

    Hey Tiffany! Quinoa (pronounced “Keen-wah”) is a seed (that really acts just like a grain). It’s high in protein and amino acids and is really good when done right! You can try it in place of rice for something different and nutritious.
    I sound like an ad. I just love the stuff! :)

    [Reply]

  3. Jennifer Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:20 AM #

    I may have to try this sometime. I’ve only ever had quinoa in a restaurant; it was like a quinoa salad side dish. But your recipe with the butter and parm makes me think of risotto :-D

    [Reply]

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