Farewell Ouray, Hello Discipline

Tex here, back home in Texas after a wonderful week in Ouray, Colorado. For a tiny town, they sure have some good eats. And I think I tried just about all of them. From Mouse's incredible chocolate to the Beaumont Grill's amazing fried brie. Oh. My. Goodness. You have no idea. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it.

 

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Although feeling bloated isn't necessarily one of those good things. The bloating I did want to end. That meant I had to get back on track and start eating healthy again.

 

So I wanted something yummy--something besides potatoes--to go with my grilled chicken breasts. I've had this big bag of quinoa in the pantry for while now. I loved it mixed with roasted cauliflower and spinach (recipe here), but whenever I've tried use it as a substitute for potatoes or rice, the quinoa lacked appeal.

 

 

I hit the Internet, looking for quinoa recipes. Quinoa Pilaf? With pine nuts? I love pine nuts. Hmm...

 

Guess what? It was totally delicious! I will definitely make this again. Not only was it yummy, it was easy. And we're all about easy, right?

 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• half of a large onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

 

While that's cooking, toast your pine nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove toasted nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown.

(Yes, they are turning brown. I promise.)

 

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in pine nuts, onions and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Good thing that salad is there. Otherwise we'd have a monochromatic meal. And that would not be fun. I think that's why God created so many colorful veggies.

 

I did not have any fresh parsley, so I added about a tablespoon of dried parsley to the quinoa toward the end of the cooking time. But the onion and pine nuts were what made this dish. I love the different textures and the flavors paired very well.

 

I'm sure our GAL knows this, but did you know that quinoa is wheat and gluten free AND a good source of protein? That makes it one of them there super foods. Which is good, because I plan on making this more often.

 

Have you ever had quinoa? What are your thoughts on this super food?