World Food and Wine
what people eat and drink worldwide

Quinoa pilaf

Use quinoa as you would use rice as it is done in this pilaf recipe. Quinoa is considered a super food because it is a protein rich seed that contains all the essential amino-acids. It is also a good source of iron and other minerals.

Ingredients

1⁄4 c olive oil
1 onion (small sweet onion, chopped)
2 celery (chopped)
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
2 bell pepper (small, 1 green, 1 red, diced)
1 clv garlic (minced or grated)
1⁄4 t oregano
  seasoning (salt and pepper to taste)
6 c quinoa (cooked quinoa)
1 c almond (dry roasted and chopped)

Instructions

  1. Put olive oil in large skillet over medium heat; add onion, celery, carrot, green pepper, and red pepper, and cook, stirring until vegetables start to soften, but are still somewhat crisp.
  2. Stir in garlic and oregano and heat for 1 minute.
  3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the quinoa, mixing well; add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Toss in roasted almonds, garnish with chopped herbs, and serve warm, either as a side dish or light main dish.
Total time
30 minutes
Cooking time
20
Preparation time
10
Yield
6 servings

Notes

To roast almonds, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and toss until lightly browned. Alternatively, spread almonds on a microwave resistant plate and microwave on high for 30 seconds; repeat, if necessary, for 20-30 seconds until lightly browned.

You can also use a mix of red and white quinoa to add color and interest to this recipe.

Source

Add your choice of other herbs, chopped or dried, on top of oregano.

For a hearty main course, add other ingredients, such as meat pieces - chicken, for instance - and chopped vegetables - colorful bell peppers, green beans, spring onions, peas, carrot.

To cook quinoa, follow the recipe for simple quinoa.

North American cuisine

easy, healthy
grains, appetizer, vegetarian
North American recipes