Tomato Spiced Quinoa

Due to my recent surgery, I have had to employ a high-protein, high-calorie diet as of late. Over the summer I had scrolled over many posts on tastespotting.com featuring quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), a high-protein grain. Given my surgeon's instructions, and the known health benefits of quinoa, I decided to try and make a dish using this versatile ingredient.

Based on others' comments who had previously eaten quinoa, I knew that it can have a slightly bitter taste. I did a little research and learned the proper way to cook the grain so that it loses its bitter taste and absorbs as much flavor as possible, while also staying light and fluffy. I tried to recreate a recipe of mine for Spanish rice except I substituted the quinoa for rice.

Since I had never tasted quinoa before, I really didn't know what to expect. By using quinoa instead of rice, the dish had mostly the same flavor profile, but with a slightly nutty taste to it. Surprisingly, the member of my family who enjoyed it the most was my brother, citing its mild flavor as his favorite aspect. My mother commented on the fact that she wished it had a stronger flavor, which my brother profusely rebutted. Since quinoa can be served both hot and cold, I tried my dish both ways. When served hot, the tomato flavor and the flavors of the individual spices were more prominent. However, the cold quinoa had a stronger nutty flavor that overpowered the tomatoes and other spices. I think that I will continue to play around with more quinoa recipes and see how different flavors pair with the healthy grain.

Tomato Spiced Quinoa

• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
• 1 14 oz. can chickpeas
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1/4 tsp-1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (sprinkle just enough to give it a little kick)

1. Rinse the quinoa by covering it with cold water in a large bowl. Swirl it around a couple of times with your fingers and then drain off the top water. Repeat the process 2-3 times, or until the top water is no longer murky but is clear instead.
2. Pour out the tomatoes and their juice into a medium saucepan and gently, using your fingers, crush the tomatoes. Although you could use diced tomatoes right away, the canned tomatoes come with more juice. Whichever method you choose, just make sure you have a 1:1.5 ratio of quinoa to liquid.
3. Bring the tomatoes and their juices to a boil.
4. Meanwhile, toss your washed and drained quinoa with all of the spices and chili flakes. Make sure the quinoa is well coated.
5. Once the tomatoes and juice has boiled, add the quinoa and bring to a boil once again. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
6. Continue to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all of the quinoa has absorbed the liquid and bloomed. You should see little white "threads" surrounding the grains. If you're not sure, leave it to cook longer rather than taking it off the heat prematurely.
7. Turn off the heat and leave the quinoa, with the lid on the pot, for another 10 minutes.
8. Once ready, fluff the quinoa with a fork and mix in the chickpeas throughout.