Quinoa

Ok, so 1 box of Quinoa made 2 batches. Each batch is 2 cups liquid and 1 cup dry Quinoa. Cook it like rice... just put it in a pot with the liquid, bring it to a boil, then let it simmer until all of the liquid is gone (about 20 minutes). Being lazy, I made both batches at once, split them into two containers, and put one container in the fridge for later. The liquid I used was White Wine and Herb broth in the pre-made broth section (they were on sale 4 c size was 2 for $5!)

Sunday night was the beginning -

Quinoa with Spinach and Feta

1 T butter

1 T Olive Oil

1 package sliced mushrooms (I like Cremini/Baby Bella)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package frozen spinach - thawed, but not cooked (I thaw it in the Microwave for a couple of minutes then squeeze it to drain the extra liquid out)

Feta Cheese

Chicken, cooked and chopped (I used left over rotissiere chicken - I made Chicken Salad for sandwiches on Friday with most of the chicken)

Melt the butter in a pan with the olive oil

Add the Mushrooms, and Onions - sautee until the onions are translucent.

Add the Spinach and continue to sautee until the mixture is thoroughly heated. Add some salt to taste, but not too much because the Feta is salty.

(This made alot! I took about 1/3 of the mixture and mixed it with the Quinoa in the fridge)

Add the Quinoa, Feta, and Chicken to the sautee pan and continue to warm it until the Feta is just a little bit melty.

This made enough for 3 meals for me. It would have been a perfect amount for 2! Left overs were great on Monday!

Tuesday was time to use the rest of the Quinoa- and I was REALLY needing some comfort food - so it was time to go for the Mac and Cheese like recipe!

Quinoa and Cheese

4 T Butter

1/4 c Flour

1 T Brown mustard

1 t prepared Horseradish (not the cream stuff - the mushed up looking stuff)

1 t ground mustard

1 t Paprika

2 small or 1 large clove of garlic, chopped

1 egg

2 c skim milk (you can use higher fat milk, but it will make the sauce much thicker, so thin it with water)

1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

2 c Sharp Cheddar

In a 2 q saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and seasonings - stirring until it's a uniform consistency and turns a little brown. In a cup, beat the milk, egg and parmesan (like you were going to make scrambled eggs!). Slowly add the milk mixture stirring constantly so you don't get lumps. Add a pinch of salt and the Shredded Cheddar - stir over medium heat until the cheese is melted. The sauce will be fairly thin, but it will thicken in the oven. Mix the cheese sauce and Quinoa. Pour it in to a 9 x 9 baking dish sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes after you pull it out of the oven to give the sauce time to set.

All the protein of a meat dish, all the fiber of whole grains, minimal carbs, and AMAZING flavor - all you could want in a comfort food! Definitely enough for two people. I had to have seconds.

I was very happy with both of these dishes.

Overall, Quinoa is kind of like a nutty flavored bead that is about halfway between rice and pasta for consistency. I could see it being used as a substitute for either pasta or rice in any dish. For those like me who are pinching pennies, here is how the cost worked out...

Quinoa - $5 (I am going to check out the local Whole Food stores to see if I can buy it by the pound for less - this is just what was available at the grocery store - with pasta at $1/pound, pasta is definitely the better cost choice, but not the healthy choice.)

Broth - $2.50

Spinach - 77cents

Mushrooms - $2.50

Onion - 50 cents

Milk - 50 cents

Cheddar - $2.50

Feta - $2.00

Butter - 50 cents

Chicken - $1

Total for 5/6 meals/servings: $17.77 - ~$3 per serving

So... more expensive than a sandwich, but also much more satisfying. And if you have soup or chips with your sandwich, it's about the same cost. Much less expensive than eating out - and definitely equally as tasty.

I still have Taff (whole grain cream of wheat type grain, but since it isn't processed like cream of wheat it has excellent fiber content), Buckwheat Groats, Red Quinoa, and Red Lentils in the cabinet to play with!