quinoa pilaf

One of the more recent issues of Bon Appetit had a whole section on Turkish food. I was intrigued because most of the things they were showing I'd never tried to make, much less, even eaten. They had a bunch of recipes and I decided on a few to try. The za'atar seasoning on chicken kebabs and harissa as a nice sauce. So now that I had the protein covered I needed a side.

I've been meaning to try quinoa for some time now. I always see it in the healthy eating magazines and blogs, but just hadn't gotten around to trying it. It seems Mediterranean enough, right? Well, actually, I'm not totally sure, I'm still new to Turkish cuisine.

It went with the chicken very well. After trying it, I'd say it's sort of like cous cous, but not as dry, which I prefer. Quinoa is versatile too! You can serve it hot or cold and add pretty much whatever you want to give it the flavor you're wanting.

Next time I think I'll try a cold version with tomatoes, basil and onion in my attempts to learn more about quinoa! Any other good recipes I should try?


Spring Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf, serves 4 as a side

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bunch of asparagus
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 zucchini diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 cup pine nuts
• S & P to taste

Bring two cups of water to a boil, add quinoa, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15-17 minutes, or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil. When hot add onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add asparagus & zucchini and cook for another 4-5 minutes until veggies are tender crisp. Add garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds. Add broth and heat. Once hot, stir in quinoa and add nuts. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.