More recipes like this, please!

August 2, 2021 4:55 PM

Well, I've arrived in 2014 because I've just discovered quinoa. I've been making this "Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato" recipe a lot for lunch lately and I LOVE it. Any suggestions for similar recipes with different flavor profiles?

I think what I enjoy most about this recipe, particularly for lunch, is that it manages to keep me full!! The flavors are great too. I've always hated bringing a lunch to work, but going home is no longer an option nor do I want to eat out as much as I did. If I could find more recipes (quinoa bowls, etc.) like this, it would be great. It makes me really excited to eat lunch!!

I'm not a very intuitive cook, so I'd greatly appreciate recipes!

posted by VirginiaPlain to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

This is also Mediterranean quinoa, so maybe too close, but I love Ina Garten’s.

This is very different and more of a side but if you like quinoa then I would check out cookie and Kate’s quinoa broccoli casserole. You could probably bulk it up with something to make it more of a filling meal.

I haven’t personally tried this quinoa chicken bake, but a friend gave it to me and said it was great so it’s on my to-try list.
posted by sillysally at 5:14 PM on August 2, 2021

This one with cashews, peas, and pineapples from Veganomicon is so good the memory of it is making me deeply regret my current dietary limitations all over again.
posted by teremala at 5:18 PM on August 2, 2021 [4 favorites]

Chinese BBQ Pork in Orange Quinoa With Peas
posted by ShooBoo at 5:21 PM on August 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

Here is another quinoa recipe I like a lot. If you use the search feature on that website and search for quinoa, there are several others that are pretty good.
posted by mjcon at 5:24 PM on August 2, 2021

My only advice is to always spring for the pre-washed quinoa. Washing it yourself is a messy pain in the butt and not doing a good enough job results in bitter quinoa.
posted by atomicstone at 5:59 PM on August 2, 2021

One Pan Mexican Quinoa
posted by xsquared-1 at 6:14 PM on August 2, 2021

I make an abomination called the "Quinoa bagel bowl" (well, my wife calls it that, I just call it The Abomination, in a loving way). I don't measure a god damn thing with this recipe, but this is what's in it:

-Cooked* quinoa, cooled
-Cherry tomatoes, halved.
-Red onion, sliced lengthwise
-Some capers
-Fishy goodness (I cheap out and do smoked trout, but, go salmon or lox when I'm feeling it).
-Everything bagel seasoning (there are blends out there, take 2 minutes and make your own; I like less onion than most use, and sometimes enjoy caraway and more chunky salt to the mix)
-Queso fresco cubed(Cojita is stronger, but works too. Paneer too if you have a Indian market nearby). You can't really do cream cheese here because then it gets gloopy and pretty nasty.

Served cold.

*It seemed like a pain in the ass, but this recipe especially benefits from toasting your quinoa. I was against it for a long time, but it deepens the flavor a little bit, and gives it more of a baked bread vibe.
posted by furnace.heart at 6:22 PM on August 2, 2021 [3 favorites]

I don't have a link because this is something I improvised, but I've been really enjoying this quinoa bowl I make with a sort of asian stir fry style dressing. I've been eating it for lunch every day for the past two weeks.

Dressing:
1/2 cup of soy sauce or tamari (I use San J Low Sodium tamari - you can usually find it at whole foods or even by usual grocery store has it)
2 to 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar (I like the Marukan brand)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons of sesame oil

These are all super approximate. I just do it to taste. Trickiest part is right balance with sesame oil. I love the flavor, but a little goes a long way. If you add too much, it will just taste like sesame oil.

Everything else:
I steam a bunch of broccoli and spinach which is sort of my "base". Then depending on my mood, I might also throw in some frozen peas, or I might saute some zucchini, summer squash, chinese eggplant.

I then marinade some chicken in the same dressing. I'm super lazy, so I just cook some chicken tenders in the microwave, but if you wanted to make it better, you could saute them with marinade plus vegetable oil on the stove.

Then just toss everything together with quinoa. Don't go too overboard with the dressing because a little goes a long way. Just enough to coat everything.

I make a batch of the dressing that I can then use for 4 or 5 days. I also steam a bunch of broccoli and spinach every few days. I keep some raw chicken tenders frozen so I can quickly grab them and cook them up.

For the quinoa, I make a huge batch every couple weeks, then freeze it individual portions in zip loc bags. That way, I just grab a bag of the frozen quinoa and defrost it, toss in the veggies, drizzle the sauce, and enjoy a delicious very healthy lunch.
posted by litera scripta manet at 6:30 PM on August 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

One of my housemates used to make a delicious Thai curry (lots of coconut milk) with quinoa, which was less healthy than this (somewhat similar flavor profile, probably simpler for lunch) Thai Quinoa Salad.
posted by ldthomps at 7:26 PM on August 2, 2021

Quinoa makes great "refrigerator glue," you can throw in whatever leftover meat and veggies you have in the fridge, maybe toss in a small amount of a light vinaigrette. I also like adding jarred marinated mushrooms and jarred roasted red peppers.
posted by radioamy at 7:57 PM on August 2, 2021

I return to this one a lot for lunches: Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad.
posted by verity kindle at 9:10 PM on August 2, 2021 [3 favorites]

I just started making this quinoa salad this summer and it is pretty delightful, and keeps well over days.

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water with 1/2 tsp salt)
cucumber, sliced and peeled to make stripes
sliced radishes (like 6)
Kalamata olives halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
4 oz feta
14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained
sliced shallot or green onions
Viniagarette (store bought or home made) to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
You could add a hearty green, like kale to this. Or incorporate arugula right before eating.

I do rinse my quinoa--by setting a wire strainer with the quinoa inside a big bowl filled with water and swish it around. I've found it makes a big difference.

Also--I cook my quinoa in my super old college rice cooker. It works like a charm!
posted by fyrebelley at 9:42 PM on August 2, 2021

This is a tasty basic quinoa recipe. I've tried it with added cooked chicken or pork stirred in, and it can be a side dish for any leftover protein you like. I often add 1.5 to 2 times the veggies for "health" (just use a larger pot). If you like vinegar or lemon flavors, add more of the vinegar or lemon at the end.
posted by Red Desk at 11:46 PM on August 2, 2021

I love this double broccoli quinoa from 101 Cookbooks. She's got a lot of other really flavorful quinoa recipes, too.
posted by carrioncomfort at 3:36 AM on August 3, 2021

I crave quinoa with steamed broccoli and cooked (microwaved because summer) sweet potato chunks and Awesome Sauce. My favorite recipe for the sauce is:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Blitz and enjoy.
posted by Lookinguppy at 7:47 AM on August 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

I think I've posted this on Askme before but I make quinoa salad quite a bit: Cooked and cooled quinoa, with chopped up snap peas, cucumber, & whatever other veg you want (I've used cherry tomatoes, corn, kale, bell peppers.. avocado is good too added last min). Dressing is just olive oil, Dijon mustard, whatever kind of vinegar you like, and salt & pepper; sometimes I put in a lemon based spice blend too.

Favourited your Ask, because quinoa is the best <3
posted by DTMFA at 8:12 AM on August 3, 2021

This recipe changed me from a quinoa hater to a quinoa lover (at least in some preparations). It's great!
posted by zorseshoes at 5:04 PM on August 3, 2021