Quinoa

We finally tried making quinoa this Spring, after months of talking about it. Our first attempt was a disappointment. Following the instructions on the box led to a bland, wheaty version of coucous. But I tried making it again last week, this time spicing it up. And it was excellent:

I served it with roasted vegetables, a regular favorite. They don't look great in the picture, but they were. Roasted veggies are super-easy to make. It just involves tossing vegetables with olive oil, salt, and herbs (usually rosemary & thyme) and baking them in the oven at 375. Here I included sno peas, shitake mushrooms, onion, carrots, an orange pepper, asparagus, and parsnips. I also love shallots in this dish, but the shallots at our local produce store were looking mealy. I cook the peppers & onions first, then add carrots, parsnips, and mushrooms, and add the asparagus and sno peas last.

The quinoa involved cooking 1/2 cup finely chopped onions and 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil (I know--this decreases the meal's healthiness. But it increases the taste! And in future renditions, I would halve both quantities). Once the vegetables brown, add 2 minced garlic cloves and some salt. Stir, then add quinoa. Stir briefly, then add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for @15 minutes.

Voila! Excellent quinoa & roasted vegetables!

*As you can see, I have set up my new computer. Yay! I also turned in my dissertation and initiated my completely non-vegetarian status by eating a burger last night. Oh, and I cut my hair. New haircut picture below: