Minty-Pea Quinoa
When it comes to finding a quick way to spruce up a side dish the key is ingredient is FRESH HERBS.
Fresh herbs are a small way to pack BIG FLAVOR, without needing a lot of time or additional ingredients. Just chop up a few tablespoons of whatever herb you choose and you can completely transform your dish.
I wanted to spruce up some of the leftover quinoa I had in the fridge. I was serving it along side some Broiled Sole w/ Sumac, so I decided to throw in some mint and scallions. It is really amazing how such a small addition can bring about such a transformation... D'lishes!
I used mint and scallions because it was what I had on hand, but you could literally use ANY herb you had to come up with 101 different ways to make quinoa (or whatever grain you are using). Simply take the base idea and changes the details!
Think "Quinoa with Rosemary and Garlic" OR "Cilantro and Lime" OR "Basil and Pine nuts" OR "Tarragon and Orange Zest" OR "Dill" OR 'Parsley".... seriously, the possibilities are endless. The key is to grasp the concept and play with the details! Once you got the concept down, you'll never find yourself eating a plain old side dish again!
So, let's hear it guys... I know their are a lot of lurkers out there, who come by and read, read, read but never share, share, share... so now's your chance to come out from behind the curtain and let me know what flavor combinations you have up your sleeve. I promise... I don't bite:).
Minty-Pea Quinoa
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa2 cups of water
1 cup of frozen peas
¼ cup chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped scallions
Juice of ½ a lemon
Zest of one lemon
Directions
Rinse quinoa under cold water until the soapy residue is all washed away.
Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low, pop on a lid and simmer for about eight to ten minutes*.
*About three minutes before the quinoa is finished, stir in the peas.
Once the peas are cooked thru and the quinoa is done, turn off the heat and stir in mint, scallions, lemon juice, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
Serves 4.
Nutritional Analysis
Calories: 158; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 38mg; Carbs: 30 g; Fiber: 5.1g; Sugar: 2.3g; Protein: 6.8gOther Recipes You May Enjoy:
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- Filed under Grains & Rice, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat-Free
- Tagged with Mint, Peas, Quinoa
- Print this recipe
- 6 comments
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Comments
Kevin :
Great combo of flavours! Mint and peas are always good and you can't go wrong adding some lemon. It is always nice to have fresh herbs on hand to brighten up your dishes.
posted on February 24, 2008 8:13 PM
Kaman :
Hi Dani,
I haven't tried this yet, but what about a quinoa dessert? I'm thinking like mixing it with mashed red beans and forming lil "mochi cakes". Or treating quinoa like oatmeal and eating it for breakfast with a lil bit of soy milk and whatnot.
posted on February 24, 2008 10:19 PM
Dani :
Kevin - I agree!
Kaman - I think a dessert would be great...I was thinking of trying a coconut quinoa pudding. As for the oatmeal, I tried that last week...check out my quick quinoa breakfast post:).
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
posted on February 25, 2008 9:53 AM
Ricki :
This does sound yummy! I like the combination of peas and mint--great idea to combine them with quinoa (and it is amazing how the little things can elevate a dish!). I've tried quinoa for breakfast, cooked like oatmeal. . . can't say it was my favorite, but Kevin might like it!
posted on February 26, 2008 10:12 AM
Amy :
Hi Dani - this sounds like a great dish. I can't wait to try it! I've also tried quinoa mixed with pesto before, which is a really easy and tasty way to give the quinoa some good, strong flavor.
posted on February 27, 2008 4:05 AM
Martha :
Hi Dani,
This sounds great. It's just the side dish I've been looking for as I prepare to teach a private healthy cooking class next week. It will be perfect with the roasted salmon and vegetables we'll prepare. Thanks for the recipe.
posted on March 4, 2008 12:47 PM