Recipe: "Fried Rice" Quinoa

Once again, I had no recipe planned for dinner, so when I told my mother "Hey, I'll make dinner tonight if you'd like me to," I then immediately thought "Wait...why did I just say that? There's no chicken thawed out, we just had pasta (which is my go to ingredient), and I've got job applications to work on today....what the hell am I gonna make?" My mother offered to bring chicken up from our extra freezer (you know the one...it sits in your garage or basement, crammed with packs of chicken, some years-old bags of frozen veggies, and a box of Popsicles or ice cream sandwiches). I knew I didn't want pasta, I didn't want to bother with rice, and my initial plan to make polenta fell through because I barely had 1/4 cup left. I had three boxes of quinoa beckoning me to cook some, and a small collection of vegetables stashed in the bottom drawer of the fridge, alongside a forgotten chunk of fresh ginger, so I thought I'd go for an Asian-style quinoa. The idea of fried rice came to mind, so I decided to replace the rice with quinoa and use the chicken to make the dish more substantial and filling. This kind of dish is perfect, because you can use pretty much any vegetable you have on hand—I had snow peas, onions, and cauliflower—and you could use any meat (chicken is a staple in our house, but shrimp, steak, or scallops would work well). This dish pulled together easily and the sauce blended into the quinoa mixture popped with the flavors of garlic, fish sauce, soy, and mirin.

Sadly, my lovely, white plating plate was in the dishwasher during this shot

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
For the chicken marinade

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. mirin (cooking sherry works as well)
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger (dry ginger works as well)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 tbsp. mirin (cooking sherry works as well)
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1-2 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger (dry ginger works as well)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

For the remainder of the dish

• 1 cup dried quinoa (I use Ancient Harvest's Traditional Quinoa, which calls for 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water; it cooks in 10-15 minutes)
• Peanut oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan or wok
• Approx. half a head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• Approx. 6 oz. snow peas, cleaned
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 eggs, scrambled

Directions

Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl, add the chicken, stir to coat, and set aside in the fridge. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl, and set aside. Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. While it's cooking, steam the cauliflower until tender, yet crisp (you can also parboil it, then shock it with ice and water to stop the cooking; steam or parboil any hard vegetables you plan to use, like carrots or broccoli). Heat peanut oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken (do not pour in the marinade though) and cook until about half done, then add the onions. Add the cauliflower and snow peas (or whatever vegetables you've chosen) after the chicken has just about cooked through. In a small, nonstick pan, cook the eggs until you've got fluffy, scrambled eggs, then break them up and add them to the pan with the chicken and veggie mixture. Add the finished quinoa and toss to combine. Pour in most or all of the sauce and thoroughly mix it in. Serve with additional grated ginger on top, as desired.

Quinoa is a great alternative to rice, and it's incredibly healthy. Its fluffy texture and nutty taste work in just about any dish, and it absorbs the Asian flavors in the dish nicely. Crispy snow peas and cauliflower, paired with fluffy eggs, and softened onions add flavor and texture to the dish, and chicken helps turn this side dish into a real meal. 

Recipe: Thai-Style Steak with Thai Fried Quinoa

During the pasta and grains unit in my Foods 1 class last fall, we discussed a popular alternative to rice and couscous called quinoa. Nutty, grain-like, and celebrated as a healthier alternative to other grain side dishes, quinoa has recently become pretty popular in the food world and I've been dying to try it out. I searched high and low for the perfect recipe and found this fantastic one from Iowa Girl Eats. I picked up strip steaks and created a Thai-inspired marinade, and that this unique, grain-like side dish. Eating the quinoa was a lot like eating fried rice—it's nutty, chewy-crunchy, and fluffy—and it turned out just as well as I'd hoped it would.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 15 minutes (marinate the steaks for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours)
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes for the quinoa, 5-10 minutes for the complete quinoa mixture, 5-10 minutes for the steak. Approx. 30-40 minutes total.
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
For the marinade

• 4 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2-1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (add more if you want it spicy)
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. cilantro, chopped
• 4 strip steaks

For the quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (the brand I used was pre-rinsed)
• 1 cup light/lite coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. lime zest
• Peanut oil (enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced or grated/"zested"
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1, 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. sweetened, shredded coconut, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup peanuts, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime (approx. 1-2 tbsp.)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients for the steak marinade, then pour the mixture into a gallon size Ziploc bag, add the steaks, and mush the marinade around to coat the steaks. Put the steaks in the fridge to marinate. The longer you let the steaks marinate, the better the flavor (I put my steaks in the marinade at 11:00am and we grilled them up around 7:45pm). 

In a medium pot (approx. 2 quarts), add the quinoa, lime zest, coconut milk, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil (without a lid), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender (a little crispiness is okay) and has soaked up all of the fluid. Once the quinoa is cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, while you work on everything else. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then put the steaks on and cook until they reach your desired doneness (about 5-10 minutes for medium). In the meantime, heat the peanut oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet or wok. Add the green onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for about a minute, until fragrant, making sure to stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the peas and pineapple and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally. Push the mixture out to the edges of the skillet, scramble the eggs in a small bowl, and add the eggs to the middle of the skillet. Whisk them around as they cook, and once cooked through, break up the eggs and mix them into the rest of the ingredients. Add the chopped peanuts, coconut, and cilantro and stir to combine. Pour in the cooked quinoa, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir to combine. Serve the finished quinoa alongside the steaks. Add additional cilantro and peanuts as desired.

This dish is such a flavor explosion! The marinade for the steak is meaty, savory, salty, and slightly spicy. Oyster sauce is amazing and it has this savory quality that makes it perfect for many Asian dishes, particularly when used with beef. The quinoa mixture, with its sweet pineapple and coconut, salty peanuts, fresh cilantro, and sweet-spicy ginger is delicious. It's like eating Thai fried rice, but it's fluffier, lighter, and nuttier. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary for dinner (well, it was out of the ordinary for an Italian food-loving girl like me), try this out! The unique flavor combinations and the texture and taste of the quinoa make this a winning dish.

Recipe: Chicken, Broccoli, and Almond Stir-fry with Rice

During my grocery shopping trip yesterday, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just grab whatever caught my eye, rather than buy based on already picked out recipes. I bought asparagus, broccoli, quinoa, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and roasted almonds, among other things, knowing that I could easily find ways to work them into dinners this week. Looking into the fridge and pantry tonight, I pulled out the newly purchased broccoli and roasted almonds, plus a handful of other ingredients, and whipped together a quick and easy stir fry that was so delicious.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10 minutes (plus a little extra time for the chicken to marinate)
Cooking time: Approx. 20 minutes for the rice, 10 minutes for the stir fry
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch wide and 2 inch long strips
• 1 large bundle of broccoli (approx. 3 bunches, or 3-5 cups), cut into florets (or 1 large bag of frozen broccoli florets)
• 2 cups dry white rice (plus any ingredients needed to cook it)
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 onion (or 1 bunch of green onions), sliced into thin rings
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Peanut oil (enough to lightly coat the bottom of a pan)

Chicken marinade

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. mirin or sherry
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp. grated ginger

Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp. mirin or sherry
• 2 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

Directions
Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a small-to-medium bowl, then add in the chicken and stir to coat. Put the bowl in the fridge while you do your other prep. work. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil and quickly cook (about 4 minutes) the broccoli, then drain it, and return it to the pot with cold water and ice to stop any residual cooking. Combine the ingredients for the sauce, whisk together, and set aside. Cook the rice according to package instructions (the brand I use calls for a little water, salt, and butter, and the rice cooks for about 20 minutes). During the last 10 minutes the rice is cooking, heat a little peanut oil in a large, deep skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for just a minute or so, until the onion starts to brown slightly, then add in the chicken (try not to pour too much of the marinade in with it). Cook until the chicken is just barely cooked through, then toss in the almonds. Drain the broccoli, then add it to the skillet and stir everything to combine. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, but tender. Slowly pour in the sauce and cook until it's slightly thickened (2-5 minutes). Serve the finished stir-fry over rice.

This dish is flavorful and easy to prepare—perfect for weeknights or a casual weekend meal. The crunchy almonds are slightly softened in the heat and blend perfectly with fresh broccoli and tender chicken. The soy and oyster sauces in the stir fry sauce add a savory, salty-meaty taste ("umami"), while the sherry and honey add a touch of sweetness for balance. Fluffy white rice is the perfect thing to pull it all together.

Recipe: Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables with Rice

In an effort to clear out the fridge, and at the prompting of my mom, who wanted me to make something for my dad and I to eat that she wouldn't mind missing out on (she had a luncheon earlier today and wasn't interested in dinner), I decided to pull together some sort of stir fry. Bell peppers, onions, and carrots are perfect for the quick cooking of a stir fry, and, paired with marinated chicken, white rice, and a splash of an Asian-style sauce, it makes for a delicious and easy meal. Because I just made this for my dad and I, I scaled down the ingredients so we didn't end up with a ton of leftovers—we still ended up with enough for four small servings or two large servings, but adjust as you see fit (if anything, add more vegetables, use two chicken breasts, and cook up a little more rice; you should have enough of the marinade and sauce). Next time I make this, I'll be sure to add more pictures of the process (though, I promise, it's quite easy to make).

Yields: 2-4 servings
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry white rice (yields 3 cups cooked)
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned (thinly sliced)
• 1 medium onion, julienned (cut the onion into thin slices like onion rings, then cut those rings in half)
• A large handful of baby carrots, sliced into two or three thin pieces; or 1-2 large carrots cut in half width-wise and then cut into thin pieces)
• Peanut oil (enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan)

For the chicken marinade

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, grated
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce (not really necessary, but it adds some nice flavor)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mirin or sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)

For the "sauce" (you won't need all of this in the stir fry)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mirin or sherry
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, grated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the rice according to package instructions (I used store brand rice that cooks in simmering water with a little butter for approx. 20 minutes; just keep in mind the cooking time for the rice you choose because the chicken and veggie mixture only takes about 15 minutes to cook and you want the chicken and the rice to be done at about the same time). In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade, add the chicken to the mixture, and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the "sauce" and stir vigorously to combine (stir it occasionally while working on everything else so that the cornstarch remains mixed in); set aside. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add in the pepper, onion, and carrot and cook until the colors brighten and the veggies start to brown ever-so-slightly, then push them aside to one side of the pan. Toss in the chicken on the other side, being careful not to pour the marinade in with it, and cook through until slightly pink in the middle, then reduce to medium heat and mix all of the veggies and chicken together. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, but tender. Add in a little bit of the sauce (just a few spoonfuls) and stir to combine; you don't need much of it, just enough to lightly coat everything—in fact, you'll have a good bit left over, but it's better to have more if you want it. Serve the mixture with the rice. 

The marinade and a splash of the sauce create a delicious salty-sweet flavor that blends perfectly with the tender chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and fluffy white rice. The dish is quick and easy to make (as are so many of the recipes I've shared) and it's a nice, somewhat healthier change from takeout Asian food from your favorite local restaurant.

Recipe: Beef with Broccoli and Snow Peas

My mother bought a pack of five great-looking New York strip steaks earlier this week, two of which I used earlier in my Penne with Beef and Arugula dish, so I was looking for recipe ideas for the remaining steaks. I decided to try my hand at making beef and broccoli (plus snow peas, at my mother's request) because it seemed like the perfect way to put the steaks to good use. I looked through various recipes online to get an idea of how to make it and based my final recipe on this one. The result was a flavorful, filling dish that I would confidently say was better than most Chinese restaurant versions that I've tried. Yes. It was that good.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz.) New York strip steaks (part of what makes this dish better than a lot of restaurants is a better cut of meat)
• 7-10 oz. broccoli florets (I used baby florets, because the smaller size makes them easier to eat)
• 2-3 oz. snow peas, cleaned (peel away the stringy bit of green on the straight edge of the peas)
• 3 tbsp. peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp. corn starch dissolved into 1/4 cup water

For the beef marinade:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (we use lite/low sodium sauce)
• 1 tsp. freshly peeled and grated ginger root
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp. Chinese rice wine (or dry/cooking sherry—that's what I use)
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oyster sauce (this can be found in the Asian food section at your grocery store and, yes, you really do need this for the dish—it's a necessary flavor)
• 1 tbsp. Chinese rice wine (or dry/cooking sherry)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch (this acts as a thickening agent)

Directions 
Cut the steaks (against the grain) into thin slices. Mix together the ingredients for the beef marinade and put the beef slices into the marinade, tossing them in the mixture to completely coat them. Set aside to let the beef soak up the flavors.
Blanch the broccoli by bringing a small pot of water to a boil and adding the broccoli, cooking it for 2-3 minutes, then draining the water. Put the snow peas and broccoli in a covered dish and set aside. Prepare the sauce for the dish in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. When a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately when dripped into the pan, add the oil to the pan and tilt the pan a bit so that the oil coats the bottom evenly. Add the beef, spreading it out so that no pieces are on top of each other, and let them fry for 1 minute. Flip the slices over and fry for another minute, then add the sauce, broccoli, snow peas, and cornstarch-and-water mixture and reduce to medium high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is boiling and has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve alone or over rice.

Sizzlin' away in the frying pan

This is one of my favorite dishes out of those that I've made so far this summer. It's definitely got that umami flavor that those Kikkoman commercials talk about—a rich savoriness that is so delicious. It was definitely fun stepping away from Italian food tonight and this was a great alternative to buying cheap take out from the local Chinese restaurant.