Quinoa for dinner

I am always trying to branch out in the foods I eat. I tend to just get frustrated with food in general and that makes it hard to get motivated to track down a meal.


My mom sent me a box of Quinoa a while back. I just shoved it in the cabinet, because frankly I had no idea what it was or even how to pronounce its name (I have since learned it is pronounced KEEN-wah). I was browsing around and found a recipe that sounded good. By the sounds of the recipe I expected the quinoa to be something like rice.


Here is the recipe:

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)

2 cups water or chicken broth

1 medium carrot shredded

1 stalk celery diced

½ medium white or yellow onion diced

1 clove garlic finely chopped

¼ cup frozen peas

¼ cup frozen corn kernels

1Tbs Olive oil

Bring water or chicken broth to a boil, add rinsed quinoa, set temperature to low, let simmer about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed

In a Large skillet on medium heat sauté the carrot, celery, onion and garlic in olive or other oil, until onion is translucent about 5-7 minutes

Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet, add the peas and corn, gently toss together till well mixed, cook 2-3 minutes to heat through

Simple enough.

Well, I must say, it was an utter disappointment. I am admittedly a picky eater so I suppose to some the dish may be more appealing. I was dedicated and followed the recipe but wah wah, still terrible. The quinoa I cooked in chicken broth, but even after it was in with the veggies it was basically like eating curdled broth. The quinoa has an odd texture and no desirable flavor of its own. I think that this dish would be better if I made it with rice. 

Perhaps there are other ways to prepare this odd grain, but I don't think I'll be attempting it any time soon. I think I will stick with rice which has a superior texture and taste.