Also known as: Quinoa Mess

This is a “quick recipe” because I will be describing it quickly and because it is very quick and easy to make.

I probably don’t have to explain that this post is going to be quick because gymnastics is on. I didn’t watch any Olympic events all day and I. Am. Feelin it. You understand.

I was hearing a lot about quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah,” apparently. I’ll stick with “quinn-O-ah,” thank you very much); word on the street is that it is kind of a power house whole grain:

“…of all the whole grains, quinoa has the highest protein content, so it’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain, is kosher for Passover, and is almost always organic.” source

Well then.

I have tried cooking with it a few times and it hasn’t let me down yet. It’s a great alternative to pasta or rice and it’s really easy to make. I’ve made this particular dish a couple of times and, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, it’s great to make at the beginning of the week and reheat for lunch. Feel free to substitute the meat, vegetables or spices to your liking or to add things like beans or corn to beef it up a little bit. I went with a zucchini, sweet potato and chicken sausage because that’s what I had on hand; I have used russet potatoes in the past and those work great too.

As an aside, these chicken sausages are delicious. I picked them up in a regular supermarket in the meat section and you should too. Plus, they’re fully cooked already so you can sautee them quickly first or just toss them in there as is.

Once you’re ready for it, you can just toss the quinoa right in there with some water or chicken broth, mix it up, cover and simmer for half an hour or so. You don’t even have to cook it first. This dish can easily be done in 1 pot in less than 40 minutes with no attention paid after the chopping is done. Plus it’s healthy. That’s a winner in my book.

It’s just not very, very pretty. But that’s okay.

Quinoa With Chicken Sausage and Vegetables
serves: 6-8 / prep time: 10 minutes / cook time: 30 minutes

• Large Vidalia or sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Medium zucchini, roughly chopped
• Large russet or sweet potato, roughly chopped
• 3-4 chicken sausage links, cooked and cubed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (water also works)
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large sautee pan over medium heat. Sautee the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Add the zucchini and potato and sautee for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and spices and stir everything to combine. Add in the quinoa and the chicken broth, stir and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.