Quinoa as Rice Substitute and Some Recipes to Consider


Quinoa as Substitute for Rice

Here's something to think about. I've been reading about quinoa and its health benefits and how it could be part of my everyday diet. I tried quinoa at a girlfriend's house. She's been trying to lose weight and have been into a lot of diet plans without having to take pills. So her regiment includes a lot of running and plenty of quinoa in her meals.

For me, quinoa may take some time to get used to. It tastes different from rice. And will most likely need seasoning or learn some new tricks to make it taste "better". Perhaps going to cooking school could help me learn new cooking tricks.

Here's a recipe. Essentially, quinoa replaces rice for prep.

Quinoa Egg "Fried Rice" Style


Ingredients:
  • 2 cups of Pre-cooked Quinoa
  • 2 medium Eggs
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 1 medium Zucchini
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 cup Ground Chicken
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Seasoning to taste (soy sauce, sriracha, oyster sauce)
Directions:

I make fried rice by using leftover white rice and cooking it in a frying pan along with other ingredients. The same applies in this case, so I first cooked quinoa in rice cooker.

The water to quinoa ratio is the same, which is 2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa. When quinoa is done (rice cooker automatically shuts off), cool it for a few hours before frying.

Chop broccoli, zucchini, and onions into desired pieces. Mince garlic. Then set veggies aside.

In a frying pan over medium heat, pour two tablespoons of cooking oil. Cook the ground chicken until it turns brown. Add quinoa and stir for 1 minute.

Be sure to spread the chicken and quinoa evenly just like when cooking rice. Add broccoli, zucchini, onions, and corn.

Continue to stir for 1 minute then add minced garlic. Season to taste. Serve!