I've sung the praises of quinoa before. Yet I'm tempted to sing them again.
It's just really such a super food. And it's full of tummy-satisfying protein. And it's healthy. And I love it.
But I'm sure you gathered that by now.
Today I share a recipe for something I call Emerald Quinoa.
It's a super simple little dish - quinoa, lots of chopped parsley, lots parmesan cheese, and a few touches of butter and salt to give it a glow.
I based this (very loosely) off of the Emerald Rice recipe in Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso cookbook. Which is a great cookbook - I love it - but in it, she waxes poetic about being obsessed with food and eating constantly and she's gotta weigh like a buck oh five. If she didn't seem so likeable, I'd hate her.
This recipe is great for the Hunger Challenge - low cost, high payoff. We're enjoying it in our Days 2, 3, and 4 menus. We'll see if I'm still so in love with quinoa after Day 4.
Emerald Quinoa
Adapted from Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 small bunch (about a cup or cup and a half) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated (Microplane zesters work wonders), plus another 1/2 cup or so for topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Rinse and cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Let cool a tad.
- Mix in the parsley, 1 cup parmesan cheese, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour into an oven-safe casserole dish.
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and it begins to brown just slightly on top.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
