I know this is not new to most people, including me, but my love affair has taken off full force. I have become a Pinterest machine. I’m not exactly pinning and doing what I’m supposed to do on there but finding some great ideas. Some of which are the recipes I have been saving. I decided to try a new quinoa recipe.
I liked this idea because it used a lot of veggies I don’t use on a regular basis – zucchini, squash and leek. Plus, it’s a very low-fat, relatively easy recipe.
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) vegetable broth (I used chix broth because I had some in the house)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 cup chopped leeks (white portion only)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (I skipped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped (I used a spinach and arugla mixture)
- I added 1lb. of chicken for extra protein
- In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, toast the quinoa over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
- In a small saucepan, bring broth and water to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- In a large nonstick skillet, saute the zucchini, yellow squash and leeks in oil until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomato, cilantro, seasonings and quinoa; heat through. Add spinach; cook and stir until spinach is wilted.
I think this had a lot of possibility, and maybe could use some doctoring up. It was, however, a big flop in our house. Kids didn’t want to eat it at all. Adam and I thought it was good and I appreciated having different veggies and quinoa in the mix. If my “eat everything” kid, Drew, wouldn’t give it the time of day, I think I’ll have to leave this out of my repertoire. I think I’m 2 for 4 on quinoa…
I'm a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Until recently I was also an employee. Now that I'm a full time mom, I've decided to make my thoughts, concerns and feelings public.
