An easy, tasty starter recipe for quinoa

 

So Monday on Bariatric Foodie I shared how I prepare quinoa. Today, I share my recipe for a spicy (or not) quinoa and beans recipe that was so good, it actually stopped a temper tantrum. Read all about it on today's blog!

http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/03/niks-spicy-or-no t-quinoa-beans.html 

Lordy, does that look sensational!  Rice and beans is one of my absolute favorite things in the world, but I don't tolerate rice well anymore.  Cannot wait to give this a try...

Who needs meat when you can eat this?  YUM!


tori

 It was gooooooood. 

I'm SOOO going to cook this like TONIGHT!!!  I just need to hit whole paycheck...er whole foods and get some more quiona because i don't have enough for the entire recipe.  I also need the chiptole (I have chili powder but I like spicy foods).

I wonder if this would work with TVP instead of quiona?

I'm not sure but I personally wouldn't do all TVP with this recipe. The small amount of TVP I can eat would offset any protein benefits I'd get. Now mixing half TVP and half quinoa might also work. But remember that you technically don't really "cook" TVP so much as you rehydrate it so the cook time would be different.

If you can't find ground chipotle spice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce would work (Latino foods section of grocery store). Use one + a tablespoon of the liquid, remove the seeds from the pepper if you don't want it super hot.

ETA: If you want to up the protein, the most seamless way I think to do that might be to add a few tilapia filets to the pot when you've added your water. When it all simmers together the fish will flake and fall apart and you get mega-protein and even more flavor!

I have a latin market around the corner from my house so I'm going to stop in tonight and see if they have it (I'm sure they do).  If not the Shoppers has a pretty large latin/carribean section and I think i've seen it there.

TVP does seem to sit "heavy" and I can't eat much of it either, but I remember seeing a recipe for red beans and rice that used TVP so I was wondering if it would translate the same for this kind of recipe.  Just thinking out loud....lol.

 Hey...I'm all for you doing what works best for your plan! 

You do know, though, if you make it with TVP I'm going to need you to snap a pic and send it to [email protected], right?

You haz been warned. 

I need to try this! It's ok according to my eating plan, but at only 3 months out i'm a little gun shy, but i realllllyyyy want to try it lol

 Mmmmm...I'd wait until 6 mos. if I were you (whenever you are cleared for brown rice is when this would be ok). And then halve the recipe unless you are sharing it!

 They've cleared me for brown rice now.  They just say to wait until i can get in 3 servings of fruit and veggies a day, which i do.  but i still think i'm going to wait until 6 months to try these things.  as good as they look, i might just spend this time collecting the recipes!