Quinoa with Spinach, Mushrooms, Jalapeño, and Cilantro

Since going gluten-free, I have heard a lot of great things about Quinoa. Considered, “the mother grain” by the Incas, Quinoa has all the essential amino acids, unlike wheat which has to be paired with a legume to be a complete protein. However, I have never cooked it until tonight! Now, I love Quinoa too! My family will be eating a lot of this “mother grain” in the future because it is absolutely delicious as well as nutritious. I did not know how quinoa is traditionally served or what pairs well with quinoa, but I decided to give it a try.

I bought a box of Quinoa, so the preparation was rather simple. I put 1 cup of Quinoa, 1/4 cup of onion, and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and waited for it to boil. Once it started to boil, I covered the pan, turned the heat to low and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. When all the water absorbs and the grain is somewhat translucent your quinoa is done. While the quinoa was cooking, I sauteed some mushrooms. When the mushrooms were nearly done, I added 10 oz. of thawed frozen spinach and 1 chopped red jalapeño. When the quinoa was done, I mixed it with the mushroom mixture and added 1-2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro. You can serve your quinoa just like this. It is delicious.

OR

You can make enchiladas and use the quinoa mixture as your filling.

For the enchiladas you will need:

6 corn tortillas

Quinoa mixture

8 oz. Monterrey Jack, shredded

GF enchilada sauce of choice- [I made a quick sauce using 1 can of Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes, 1 can of Muir Glen tomato sauce, 1 diced red jalapeno, 1/2 T of chile powder, and 1 teaspoon of cumin. I let it simmer for 15-20 minutes while I made the rest of the meal. WARNING: This sauce is hot! I would recommend changing the proportions or making a different sauce if you can't handle a little bit of heat!]

Directions:

Put 1/2 the enchilada sauce in the bottom of 2 or 2.5 quart casserole dish. Fill 6 corn tortillas with the quinoa mixture (you may wish to add a little of the MJ cheese to the filling) and lay them face down. Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and top with MJ cheese if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serves about 4.

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Vegetarian Recipes

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