1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (original called for 1 full cup of full fat mayo. WOW.)

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)

1 teaspoon Splenda

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups cooked cut up broccoli (bite sized)

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or 8 individual small ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.

Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

Per Serving: Calories 199,  Protein 10 g; Fat 9 g; NET Carbs 14 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 297 mg

Note: To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

QUINOA TABBOULEH SALAD

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water or vegetable broth

1 large or two medium tomatoes, chopped small

1 cucumber, chopped (optional)

4 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Preparation:

In a medium pot, cover quinoa in water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer, cover, and allow to cook about 15 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, garlic, fresh mint and fresh parsley. Add cooked quinoa, olive oil,lemon juice and salt, tossing gently to combine well. Season with salt, to taste.

Chill for at least one hour before serving, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to mingle.

While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. Try a quinoa pilaf salad recipe, or serve a vegetable stir-fry over cooked quinoa instead of rice. Quinoa is my favorite grain for three reasons: First, it takes less time to cook than other whole grains – just 10 to 15 minutes. Second, quinoa tastes great on its own, unlike other grains such as millet or teff. Add a bit of olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice and - yum! Finally, of all the whole grains, quinoa has the most protein, so it's perfect for vegetarians.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.

Culinary ethnologists will be interested to know that quinoa was a staple food for thousands of years in the Andes region of South America as one of just a few crops the ancient Incas cultivated at such high altitude.

Cooking quinoa: 
Prepare quinoa as you would prepare rice. Cover it with water or vegetable broth and boil until soft, about 15 minutes. Or, place 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water in your rice cooker.

Nutritional content of quinoa: 
According to CalorieCount, 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa has 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.