Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Garlic Quinoa with Parmesan Cheese





This is my first time posting a recipe for quinoa. In fact this is the first time that I have cooked quinoa or even eaten the stuff. To go one step further I had never heard of quinoa before I started this blog... I guess you get the picture.

So with that said I wanted something simple and basic for my first experience of this food. So when I found a recipe that offered onion, garlic, and Parmesan cheese I knew I couldn't go wrong. I served this as a side dish with a meat loaf that I will be posting about in the near future. I have to say I was not as impressed as I thought I would be, it wasn't that the recipe didn't work out, it was the flavor of the quinoa. I think that I will have to try the quinoa in a few more dishes before I give up on it.

I have decided to post this recipe because the guys in the house enjoyed the quinoa. I thought that was an odd thing, because I am the one that enjoys all the new flavors of new foods and it is my guys that usually turns up their noses. If you are like me and trying quinoa for the first time I really think that is a good start to introduce yourself to this food.



Garlic Quinoa with Parmesan Cheese (Source: adapted from about.com) 
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced small
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In medium sized pan saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium high heat 3 to 5 minutes, until onions are soft.
2. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the broth and quinoa to the onion and garlic.
3. Cover and allow to simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed and quinoa is cooked about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and gently mix quinoa to distribute any excess moisture. Season with salt to taste.
5. Add Parmesan cheese and stir lightly to distribute cheese through the dish.


16 comments:

  1. I love quinoa and like the simplicity of this dish...great side dish Dawn.
    Thanks for the recipe and hope you are having a great week :D

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  2. You've added great flavors to quinoa. I think this could be the new side to make a chicken breast palatable. :-)

    Wishes for tasty dishes,
    Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa

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  3. What a lovely way to cook quinoa - I use it often but have never added cheese - great idea :))
    Mary x

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  4. A great way to make quinoa more flavorful.

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  5. So many people love quinoa and I just don't. I've tried it 3 different ways and I'm going to try this one too. I'm determined to find a way to like it.

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  6. Yum! Quinoa is one of my new favorites, and this recipe looks downright delicious!

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  7. So much better than my boring version.

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  8. This does sound like a great way to try Quinoa. I have found that I like it with some sweet add-ins like craisins or golden raisins. I think the sweetness goes well with the nutty quinoa. I also tried a mexican dish that was really good with avocado and corn and cotija cheese and some other things. This does sound like a nice weeknight side dish!

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  9. Again my first time to hear this Quinoa...and it looks delicious!
    Take care! Have a nice weekend!

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  10. My favourite too! Your garlic quinoa with cheese looks mouthwatering.

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  11. I love finding new ways to prepare quinoa! This garlic-cheese variation sounds awesome.

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  12. I love quinoa, and I'm always a fan of garlic. Looks like this would be a crowd pleaser at my house! Thank you for sharing!

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  13. I'm the only one in my house who likes quinoa so I don't cook it much. I love the flavors in this - I'm a sucker for anything Parmesan and this will go with just about anything!

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  14. There is quinoa everything these days and it is definitely having its 15 minutes (or more) of fame. I mark so many to try and sort of work my way through them, tiny little recipe at a time as there is just so much Mark and I can get through on our own these days with the boys flying the nest. I will mark this one, what's not to love about this lineup of ingredients!

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  15. I like quinoa but it has a rather sedate flavor. So I usually use it as part of a dish (soup, salad, whatever), not a side dish all on its own. That said, making it with garlic and Parmesan sounds terrific! Gotta try this - thanks.

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