One good thing about rainy afternoons in Florida is that they often mean slightly cooler evenings.
Perfect for pre-dinner walks with Sadie!
Our little stick-lover found a great one about 10 minutes into our walk and had a field day.
Check out that waggin’ tail!
Dinner
I am on a bit of a quinoa kick.
It’s nutritious, tasty and incredibly easy to prepare.
On Sunday evening the past two weeks, I cooked up a big batch of quinoa to have on hand throughout the week and find that it makes dinner prep super easy! (Quinoa, berries and peanut butter is also one of my favorite healthy snacks these days. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!)
For lunch today, I prepared a big batch of cheesy quinoa chicken that Ryan and I ate again for dinner. I took all the meat off of a rotisserie chicken that I bought on sale at the grocery sore yesterday and stirred it into a large, reheated bowl of quinoa, adding roasted green beans, sautéed Portobello mushrooms and shredded mozzarella cheese.
It came together in a flash and was an incredibly satisfying and savory dish.
Next up in my quinoa adventures is making this peanut butter quinoa granola. It must be done!
Any other quinoa recipes out there I need to try? I’d like to keep my quinoa kick kickin’! 
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I’ve only had quinoa once and I wasn’t a huge fan of how it was prepared. But I’d like to try it again, because I know it’s really healthy!
That’s what I was thinking too!!!
I was really hoping this post would mention the kwi-noah gaffe from The Bachelorette last night! My husband and I sure giggled at that. I’ve made your butternut squash barley risotto with quinoa instead of barley several times – yummy!
I saw that on the Bachelorette last night too. Kwi-no-uh. haha. I felt bad for him…trying to impress her with his foodie knowledge and getting the pronunciation wrong.
What a coincidence..I made quinoa last night with rotisserie chicken and mixed in walnuts, craisins, spinach and goat cheese yum!
I also like it these different ways..
quinoa, then stirfry onion & bell pepper, mushrooms & garlic, then add quinoa & stirfry.. adding some soy sauce, black pepper, bit of hot sauce.
Or
add lime juice, cilantro, diced tomato, jalapeño pepper, red onion, garlic powder, cumin…
Or
cook it with chx stock, add red onion, garlic, bell peppers. I cool it down to room temp then add avocado cubes and diced tomato. The avocado turnes it kind of creamy.
Love quinoa!!
Yeah, the kwi-noah thing last night got me too! Julie I recommend quinoa pasta. Sounds awful but I’m gluten free and use it all the time. It’s quite good, and gluten free! And it’s WAY more filling than wheat pasta. I used quinoa spaghetti to make the Pioneer Woman lasagna and just layered spaghetti noodles instead of lasagna noodles and it was dee-lightful! I love quinoa in its original form with olive oil and salt and cracked red pepper.
yummm! i love all of those things in your recipe- definitely will need to recreate it over here!
OMG Quinoa is my FAV! Have you tried it in a salad yet? A common way to use it is in this Southwestern Quinoa salad. There are different ingredients to use but some I’ve included is: black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro and anything else that might go good inside. I then make a vinaigrette that goes over it with EVOO, lime juice, & cumin. It’s very good!
I just made a fire-roasted tomato & quinoa soup tonight that was EXCELLENT! I’m going to post the recipe tomorrow 😉 love me some quinoa!
I’m on a huge quinoa kick. I make a big batch on Sunday and scoop out lunch sized portions for the week. This week is quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes (olive oil, cayanne, garlic), black beans, corn, cilantro and goat gouda. Last week was quinoa, roasted chick peas, kale, green peas and goat gouda.
Keep your recipes coming!
Love the picture with Sadie’s tail wagging like crazy!
I really need to make quinoa more often!
I love making a caprese style quinoa with sliced grape tomatos and chunks of mozarella cheese. Then coat it with a puree of olive oil and fresh basil. So good!
That sounds sooo good! Do you add anything else? Or is it just the ingredients you have mentioned? Recipe stickler here 🙂
nope, that’s it!! but i did roast the veggie in olive oil & garlic salt.
It sounds like a lot of us are loving quinoa these days!!
I made it for dinner and blogged about it last night. BBQ chicken quinoa bowl. Black beans, corn, feta, avocado and chicken mixed together and put on top of quinoa. Sprinkle with cheese and bbq sauce. Soooo good!!!
I was a huge fan of quinoa and would also made a big batch to last me through the week. My favorite recipe was Mama Pea’s Quinoa Zucchini Lasagna.
I had to stop eating quinoa “the wonder food” a couple of months ago after suffering severe stomach cramps, nausea, and heartburn after several attempts to eat it at dinner. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who suffer from some kind of allergy/intolerance to the grain. I really hate it, and feel like my grain choices are limited for dinner now. 🙁
That’s such a bummer! Although quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain. If you can handle couscous or wheat berries you could try those! Or for another gluten-free option millet is actually similar too.
I thought initially quinoa was making me sick too but it turned out it was the ridiculous amount of oil that is often put in it. Now this is just me – you know your own allergies and gut.
But I almost swore it off completely for this reason.
omg I just saw that chobani recipe too!! I was gonna make it this week LOL!
PS I’ll be in Florida next week! (visiting family in Tampa) do you know of any good vegetarian friendly restaurants there? Or anything fun to do? we’re always stuck doing the same thing when we go lol all I know is I’m SUPER excited to be able to run on flat land rather than the hills I do here in NY lol 🙂
here’s a post i did all about fun things to do in st. pete (just south of tampa): https://www.pbfingers.com/2012/02/09/things-to-do-in-st-pete/ hope this helps!
I like to save money by making my lunches, quinoa comes in handy when cooking for one! My favorite lately has been a greek style salad:
quinoa, cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes, feta, sliced basil, red onion, kalamata olives. mix it together with red wine vinegarette, and then ill serve it over spinach.
I make this with pasta, but feel like it would work SO WELL with quinoa! Feel free to alter the proportions – my recipe makes enough pasta for like 8 people 🙂 You won’t need as much oil or lemon juice, but don’t skimp on the basil!
http://fritosandfoiegras.com/2011/07/light-lemon-pasta-salad.html
I am crazy in love with quinoa and I have tried it with pb too! love it.
I was sent the cookbook: Quinoa Cuisine and I really like it. I had no freaking idea how many things you could make with it. I sometimes grind it up and use it as a flour. Makes great pizza crust.
Here’s the link to the book on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Quinoa-Cuisine-Nutritious-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/1612430201
I really like that quinoa can be either savory or sweet! I simply make it with cilantro and corn, salt and pepper for a nice easy side dish.
I’m not sure how I feel about quinoa with peanut butter, but maybe I’ll give it a shot!
Quinoa and ground turkey stuffed peppers are AHMAZING! What I did to prepare them was take a batch of cooked quinoa and add a 1:1 ratio of ground turkey. Then add some tomato sauce, spices, etc. Stuff it into halfed bell peppers and pour on some more sauce. Throw on some cheese, pop it in the oven, and voila! You have a healthy, tasty meal 🙂
That looks so good – I just printed it!
This quinoa salad with apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and gouda is honestly one of my favorite salads ever. Incredibly delicious. Enjoy! 🙂
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/quinoa-salad-apples-walnuts-dried-cranberries-gouda.aspx
Ha! Sadie’s tail is GREAT in that photo!
That’s basically what I brought to work for lunch! Plus a little hummus mixed in too
I use quinoa instead of rice when I make stuffed peppers… so good!
I should know I should probably know this as i’ve been reading for a couple of years, but have you tried using it as a substitution for oatmeal? Hot or cold, it doesn’t matter. It is good!
i have!! it is great!
I just tried quinoa for the first time this week and loved it! We served ours with pan seared tilapia and sauteed veggies. Your dish looks delicious! 🙂
Any recipe with shrimp, line and quinoa
yum!! shrimp + lime is a winning combo!
i <3 quinoa! i make quinoa bowls for breakfast! 🙂
I love quinoa and am currently looking for more ways to prepare it, so thank you! This quinoa black bean citrus salad recipe is super delicious and even tastes good leftover. The avocado even stayed fresh (must be the lime juice and EVOO or something). http://www.dinnerordessert.com/2011/06/quinoa-black-bean-citrus-salad.html
oh yum!!!!
Mmmm love quinoa! I don’t make it too often though, and my husband is REALLY not fond of it!
I just gave in to all these bloggers and bought quinoa for the first time last week. I haven’t used it yet because I don’t know what to make. I’m scared!
Is Sadie a COONHOUND? Oh man, does she look like a redbone if she isn’t!
Loving it!
she’s a vizsla 🙂
Peanut butter tastes good on EVERYTHING. I am so sad my son is allergic so I usually don’t use it for baking like protein bars or granola, just incase he gets his little hands on them, sigh…hmm now i want some peanut chicken 🙂
So far I’ve only had quinoa once because I fixed it for my parents like I world brown rice in the rice cooker and neither of them really cared for it. I liked it though. Cheesy quinoa chicken sounds pretty good but I’m not so sure about peanut butter quinoa granola. I hope it’s good.
Try this recipe from Gina @ Running to the Kitchen: http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2012/01/zesty-quinoa-cakes/
They are delicious!!
Love quinoa – I keep meaning to make a bigger batch on the weekend to use throughout the week!
Iowa girl eats posted a quinoa recipe today! Looks like a good one with chicken and BBQ sauce.
Yum… that’s a really tasty throw together meal!
LOVE the pic of Sadie’s wagging tail!! Too cute!!
I love quinoa..especially with hummus stirred in!!
Sadie is so cute! Did she try to bring the stick inside? Try quinoa mixed in with ground beef while you are cooking it. It is a great filling for burritos. Topped with cheese and tomatoes, you would never think that you have a healthy grain in there 🙂
no sticks inside! 🙂
I adore quinoa and have been making several salads this summer and including this power grain into almost everyone. My favorite use though would be to use it to make a stir fry or fried rice. Best consistency!
I tried quinoa but I don’t really like it >< The texture seems to freak me out. I should try it again!
I don’t love the texture either, but try making quinoa cakes – all the nutrition and not quite so much chewing! I have made these before and they were SO good (used cheddar):
http://spoonforkbacon.com/2011/11/cheesy-quinoa-cakes/
you don’t need the sauce if you feel lazy:)
Thank you for giving me the recipe! It’s looks yummy ^^
mmmmm…yummyyyy! that seriously looks delicious.
I like Quinoa too! I love the fact that it can be eaten so many different ways and have a different taste each time. Yum!
Your dinner sounds delicious and looks great too! I’m definitely going to have to try it. I love quinoa and clearly don’t eat enough of it.
I mix some (pre-cooked) in with my oatmeal in the mornings to bulk it up and for extra protein. It takes on all of the other favors. Love quinoa!
Love quinoa! The hubby and I are especially enamored with Quinoa Chicken Fried “Rice”. It’s soooooo good! It makes a big batch which is perfect for reheated lunches. Gotta love that!
http://laurenbrapp.blogspot.com/2012/04/quinoa-chicken-fried-rice.html
I love quinoa too, it’s a great gluten free grain! Haven’t tried this recipe from How Sweet it is yet, but I’ve had it saved for a couple weeks. Looks like a delicious summer salad!
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/05/watermelon-feta-basil-quinoa/comment-page-1/#comment-311436
I LOVE this Quinoa Cereal recipe!
http://www.wholeliving.com/144895/quinoa-cereal
I’ve been on a quinoa kick lately too!! I recently made salmon burgers with quinoa to bind them and then had the left overs in a big salad yesterday! It’s so versatile and a great source of protein 🙂
Here’s my favourite quinoa recipe!
Turkey Quinoa Skillet http://mypinkthumb.com/2012/05/18/turkey-quinoa-skillet-dish/
It’s super healthy, cheap, and easy to pepare. Best of all, you make it in one pot! 🙂
My hubby and I eat it at least once a week. lol