Quinoa with Squash and Tomato

I have never made Quinoa before but since it is a new fad food I thought I should make it myself.

Quinoa is grain-like but is a distant cousin to beets and spinach. In addition, it has fiber, protein, and other minerals. You cook it like rice and can dress it up or down just like rice (read: it is ok plain but nothing fancy. The good news is that you can add to it and make it very good)!

It is a fad food, and therefore more expensive than rice or potatoes. I think I paid $13.00 for my package of 16 servings so it is just under $1.00 per serving.

Like rice, you boil 2 parts water (2 c.) and add 1 part quinoa (1 c.). Return the water to a boil, place the lid on the quinoa and let it simmer for approximately 13 minutes or until all of the water is dissolved. (I cooked my quinoa in 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. water and that helped to give it some extra flavor.)

While the quinoa was cooking I cubed 2 zucchinis and 2 summer squash. I sautéed the vegetables in a pan and added ½ c. chopped onion and 2 small cloves garlic. I let this sauté for about 10 minutes and then I added 1 can chopped tomatoes, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. chili powder, ½ c. salsa, ½ tsp cumin, and ½ tsp paprika.  Once the vegetables were heated through I added the quinoa and served this with parmesan cheese and goat cheese. ( I thought the goat cheese and tomato made for a funky combination so I probably won’t mix those two together again.)