Given how much I bake it’s probably no secret that I have a major sweet tooth. I make no apologies for enjoying a little something for dessert most days – everything in moderation π And the truth is, no matter how many days in a row I’ve eaten cookies, cupcakes, candy, or whatever else, I don’t think I’ve ever felt the need to go on some healthy detox plan afterward.
While I may not be able to overdose on sweets, it turns out the same can’t be said for french fries. You may have seen me post about our first experience with poutine last week. We tried it, we loved it, and we could not stay away! The phrase “when in Canada” was uttered numerous times, and by the time we left, I desperately needed to hit the reset button on my diet.
I’ve been struggling to get onboard the quinoa bandwagon for a while now, but it hasn’t stopped me from continuing to try. I’ve made many recipes, and while a lot of them were edible, few were worthy of a repeat. And then, in an attempt to get something healthy into my body, I cooked this dish for lunch yesterday, and everything changed. I never thought I’d say this about anything made with quinoa, but it’s totally crave-worthy!
The quinoa is toasted in a saucepan with shallots and red pepper flakes, then cooked in chicken broth. When it’s done, roasted garlic, tomatoes and baby spinach leaves are stirred in along with Parmesan cheese. The residual heat wilts the spinach, melts the cheese and softens the tomatoes. And the roasted garlic is heavenly – the flavor, the aroma – it really makes the dish. The quinoa was terrific for lunch but would also be a great side dish at dinner. Actually, now that I think about it, I’d probably even eat it for breakfast with a fried egg on top. Yum!
Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes and Spinach
from Cooking Light, August 2010
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon dry white wine (I used vermouth)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 small tomato, chopped and seeded
1 tablespoon shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove the papery outer skin from the head of garlic. Use a sharp knife to cut the head in half crosswise (to expose the middle of the cloves). Wrap one half of the head of garlic in aluminum foil (you could also roast the second half of the head now, or save it for another time). Roast for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the pulp from each clove then discard the skins.
Add the oil to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the shallots and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minutes. Add the quinoa and cook for 2 minutes to toast it, stirring occasionally. Stir in the wine and cook until it has been absorbed. Mix in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the garlic pulp, spinach leaves, tomatoes, cheese and salt. Serve warm, topped with additional cheese if desired. (I tried this at room temperature too, but I liked it better warm.)
Tracey, this looks so good. I’ve got all the ingredients so I’ll make it later this week or weekend. Yummy and I’m pinning it! Every blessing, Kelly
What would you recommend in place of the wine?
We love quinoa and this looks like a very nice recipe for it. Don’t you think the little grains are just so cute when they open and spiral like they do? Obviously, it takes very little to entertain me, I realize this, but quinoa is just such fun.
Glad you have found a quinoa recipe that you like! So far I have enjoyed it both in sweeeter recipes and savory. But sometimes it doesn’t always work out for my taste buds.
Definitely intrigued! I haven’t tried toasting them first. Very cool.
I’ve also been trying to get on the quinoa bandwagon but really haven’t found any recipes that have blown me away…nothing worth repeating like you said. I will have to definitely give this recipe a try! Thx for sharing and hopefully I can get on that bandwagon!
BTW…poutine is the best but rarely indulge in it since it is so heavy π
I wish there were more summer recipes appearing in blogs. It is after all still August. This preparation is a superb example of something to eat out on the screened-in porch with corn on the cob and lemonade.
I’ve had trouble getting into quinoa too but this? This I could get into. It looks fantastic! And I was so jealous when I saw your poutine photo! Mmm!
MMM I bet this is so yummy with the roasted garlic
This would make a wonderful breakfast. Looks great. Glad you’ve found a quinoa recipe you like! I love mixing up what I call “grain salads” like this for quick, easy, and healthy meals in the summer.
@Michelle – It’s such a small amount I think you’d be wine just subbing more chicken stock, or even water.
Funny – I posted about Quinoa today too π
I love this version – I think my hubby will love the melty cheese!
Roasted garlic makes everything better. Hubby adores it. He’s so so about quinoa (thus far). So perhaps this is the turning point recipe. Will definitely be trying this one.
I made this today and it turned out great! I think this is one of my favorite quinoa dishes so far….seems hard to come by one that I like. I subbed OJ for the wine and left out the parm. Just wished I had doubled the recipe π