Quinoa is one of those super trendy, good-for-you foods that actually lives up to the hype. And oh yeah, it tastes pretty darn good too. I’m a big believer that good food doesn’t have to taste like saw dust, dirt or be inedible. Now in fairness, there is plenty of “good” food that doesn’t taste good. Can I get an Amen? Thought so.
This is the first time I’ve actually cooked quinoa. It’s pretty much the same as cooking rice, so it’s pretty hard to screw up and doesn’t require constant supervision. It’s great served as a salad base or with something that has a bit of a sauce/gravy that can soak into the quinoa and add a little flavor to it.
In this dish, the lemon gives the quinoa a bit of a bite and herbs add some freshness. It’s a great all-purpose side dish that will complement many entrees from chicken, steak and fish. It paired perfectly with my citrus cod and is now one of my new go-to side dishes.
I’ve bookmarked (or pinned) a ton of recipes with quinoa that I can’t wait to try. I see a beautiful and healthy partnership in our future.
Quinoa is a power food that tastes great and does a body good! It's tossed in a light, dressing with lemons and parsley that gives it a satisfying bite.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil and stir in quinoa, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for about 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before placing in serving bowl and lightly cover to keep warm.
- In the same pan you cooked the quinoa, heat extra virgin oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in zest and juice and simmer for 1 minute. Note: I recommend starting with half the juice of a lemon and tasting first. I used the whole lemon, but I like it a bit tart. Also, be sure to zest the lemon prior to cutting and juicing.
- Stir the onion mixture, parsley and quinoa together. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
This makes a great base for so many recipes and an a healthy alternative to pilaf or rice side dishes. The lovely veggies surrounded the quinoa is the first image are from Citrus Cod with Vegetables.
Lightly adapted from Saveur
This is one of my new-go recipes and a healthy substitute for rice side dishes. Enjoy!
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
This dish looks deliscious. I’ve never tried kinoa either. I imagined it tasted like you said…sawdust or something like that. But since you like it and I think we have familiar taste in food I might have to try this.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! Hope it’s been a great week! Have a great weekend hun!
And I soooo failed at spelling Quinoa! I am so lmao right now :)! Goes to show how much I know about it! LOL
LOL! You make me laugh, girl. We’ll blame autocorrect! 🙂
Yeah, I hate “good” food that tastes like sawdust, bleach! Plain quinoa is pretty bland, sort like any rice or pasta, I guess. It’s what you flavor it with that makes it yummy, but unlike pasta and rice, quinoa has a much higher nutritional value.
I have to admite I’m not the biggest fan of quinoa, but maybe I’m not pairing it with the right foods. To me it’s just so bland. Does this one have lots of flavor?
I’ve been so-so on quinoa too, because it can be so bland and occasionally bitter. I find it’s a lot like couscous for me. Boring on its own, but if paired with some that have a yummy juice/sauce, then I really enjoy it. These is nice because the lemon gives it some bite, so it stands okay on it’s own. And it was really good with the citrus cod but I made extra that I ate alone and it was still delicious.
Looks nice and healthy, which is something I need to incorporate into my diet!
It really is healthy and tasty, which I love because it seems like I always love the really tasty and not-so-good recipes. 🙂 I need to incorporate more healthy dishes into my diet, which I have been doing a better job at this year but I also have had a big craving for some pasta too! Moderation and baby steps, right? 🙂