Red Quinoa

Red quinoa has a satisfying nutty flavor and offers a nice alternative to the original “golden” variety. I like to cook it in vegetable broth for added nutrients and flavor. It is great as a side dish, served with some steamed broccoli or roasted asparagus and grilled fish or chicken.

If you add in roasted nuts* (almonds, pepitas or hazelnuts are good), chopped kale or spinach, and some cheese (crumbled feta or goat cheese, or my personal favorite–shredded parmesan) it becomes more hearty; the added vitamins, protein and calcium from the nuts, greens and cheese practically make it a meal in itself.

Some of my recipes with Red Quinoa include: Red Quinoa with Kale, Wild Salmon over Red Quiona and Kale and Mama’s Fish House Kale Salad with Grilled Fish. (Wow, it looks like I’m really into paring red quinoa with kale all the time. The first two mentioned here are very different so check them both out. I’ll have to come up with something new soon–I have some ideas brewing! You can always search red quinoa at any time and see what shows up.)

*For instructions on how to roast nuts, see my post entitled Roasting Almonds–it only takes 10 minutes and is so easy to do!