I'll Be Ready In Five Minutes: Quinoa for Days

My friends like to joke around that all I eat is quinoa for brekky, lunch and din. This is far from the truth, though you may not believe me after reading this post...

I discovered quinoa's existence pretty recently, and not too long after, discovered how versatile it can be. To me, it kind of tastes like rice, but I read somewhere that it's like, basically pure protein... Sounds like a win, win to me! At Whole Foods, they have it in those dispensers that you pour yourself, and on one of my recent trips, I stocked up in an effort to provide myself with something healthy to eat when hunger attacks.

Which is exactly what happened last night after cardio barre... I came home starved (and sore) and opened the pantry to find little else but a giant bag full of quinoa... Not exactly appetizing... I was craving something just a teeny bit less healthy... and watched with huge, green eyes as my roomie whipped up the juiciest, yummiest cheeseburger I had ever seen. Turning back to my little quinoas, my heart sank in my chest and I tried desperately to think of a way to spruce them up a bit...

Here are two recipes I've come up with that, in my opinion, make quinoa far more desirable and maybe even rival that juicy cheeseburger... maybe...

Up first: Quinoa Cakes!

(The less healthy of the two)

Begin by making the quinoa... (Cooks just like rice)

To the water I add a dash of salt, onion powder and garlic powder.

While I'm waiting for the quinoa to cook, I gather the rest of the goodies.

I whisk up one egg,

And chop up some herbs... really whatever you've got... I had cilantro, parsley and green onions.

Once the quinoa is cooked up and fluffy...

Move it to the bowl with the whisked egg and add some bread crumbs,

The herbs,

And mix it all up!

(I also added red chili flakes for some kick!)

The mixture should be the consistency of meatballs... So if it's too dry, you may need more egg, and if it's too wet, you may need more breadcrumbs.

Then, in little batches, pop it on to a skillet with some olive oil to get all nice and brown...

They're done when both sides have a nice brown color to them (and a perfect crunch!).

Set them on some paper towels to avoid getting soggy and serve immediately!

We ate them with ranch, but ketchup could be good, too, if you're so inclined.

They're seriously SO good! And even though I fried 'em up, I like to think they still retain a good amount of nutrition... In the past, I've used them as a base for a poached egg. Being a major Eggs Benny enthusiast, it was bound to happen eventually :)

Alternatively, a Quinoa Stir-Fry!

or a Fried "Rice" type situation

(Basically all the same ingredients, just a slight twist in how it's prepared)

Begin, again, by cooking the quinoa...