Guess what came in the mail for me recently?

Five yummy pounds of my favorite… quinoa! You might think 5 pounds of quinoa is a lot. It should last me about a week. Even after posting tons and tons of quinoa recipes, people are still asking me what it is.

According to wikipedia:

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. This crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein source, unusual among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

So there you go. Good and good for you.

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while now. Except the original recipe was curried quinoa and CHICKPEAS. I swear I wrote chickpeas on my shopping list, but somehow they did not make it home with me. Since I already had everything else I needed, I decided to sub in some leftover yellow squash I had.

My recipe also includes a bit more spice. I tasted as I was cooking the original, and I decided I wanted to kick it up.

Curried Quinoa and Veggies

(adapted from Live, Laugh, Love)

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 small yellow squash, chopped (or 1 can chickpeas, drained/rinsed!)
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Bring water and orange juice to boil over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients, except cilantro.

Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and veggies are tender. Fluff with a fork. Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

I liked the quinoa, but definitely thought it needed the extra spice. I think the curry powder I have is pretty mild, so the cayenne was a good addition.

When I asked Nick if he liked it, he said, “It’s too squeaky.” HA! Ok, so maybe boiling/steaming squash is not the best way to cook it. I wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t mentioned it, but after he did, all I could hear was the squash skins squeaking on my teeth. It was kind of amusing, actually.

Nick couldn’t get over the squeak (it really wasn’t THAT bad, he likes to exaggerate), so I got all the leftovers which was just fine with me. I think I need to keep a spare can of chickpeas in my cabinet so I’m ready next time!