Friday, December 10, 2010

80--- Fried Rice Quinoa


There is actually no rice in this recipe, but what would you think of if I titled this one "Fried Quinoa"? Not a great visual.


This is Asian-style fried rice, but with quinoa!! Quinoa is a great healthy whole grain (seed) with lots of protein! Fun fact: quinoa once saved parts of Africa from a famine! Cooking tip: make sure you rinse quinoa with cold water prior to cooking to alleviate the sour-bitter taste that it can have if this step is skipped! In 1/2 cup of quinoa there is 4 g protein! That's double the amount in rice (brown or white). Quinoa also contains lots of iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. AND it is a naturally gluten-free whole grain!


You can omit the eggs from this recipe and enjoy this as a vegan meal! We ate this as our main dish, but it would complement some sweet and sour chicken or wonton soup very well as a side!


Fried Rice Quinoa
Serves 6 (1 1/2 cup main dish) or 12 (3/4 cup side dish)

2 cups raw quinoa
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups lima beans, cooked (frozen and heated are fine)
1/2 cups Chinese pea pods
2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced/chopped
4 medium eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 Tbsp lite soy sauce
Green onion, sliced for garnish

Rinse 2 cups quinoa in cold water and drain. Boil 4 cups broth in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for ~30 minutes of until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit uncovered for 5 minutes.

Heat sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large wok or skillet. Add carrots and saute until slightly tender. Add mushrooms and pea pods. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for ~ 5 minutes. Scrape vegetables to one side of pan and add beaten eggs to other side. Scramble eggs until cooked through and then mix into vegetables. Stir in lima beans and pineapple and mix to combine. Gently fold in quinoa and soy sauce. Heat for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Garnish with sliced green onions!

Nutrition Info per 1 1/2 cup serving: 285 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 15 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber

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