Quinoa Fried Rice

WOW! It's been awhile since I posted last! And there is a reason and no it's not because I'm pregnant! I've been working on a couple of digital scrapbooks and so every evening when I would normally be blogging I was doing these scrapbooks! Hopefully I can get back on track though!

So yesterday for dinner we made fried rice, but in an effort to be healthier we changed what would have been brown rice to quinoa! And holy moly it was good! I was pretty skeptical because, I'll be honest, quinoa isn't my favorite thing.  But after tasting it, I didn't even miss the rice. And I'm a little embarrassed to even be posting this as a recipe because it's so super simple, but here I go anyways.

Here's what you need:

Prepared quinoa

 (if you don't know how to make quinoa I'll post how to make it at the end of this post.)

Diced Ham

Edamame, removed from pods

(traditionally you use peas, but I really like the edamame)

Green onion

Eggs

Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Garlic Paste (optional)

So here's what we did! We scrambled about 6 eggs, because thats all we had left. :) While the eggs were starting to cook we tossed in the ham bits. Mmmm.... HAM!!! Once the eggs were just about done we tossed in the edamame. When the eggs were done cooking we added our quinoa. We didn't use all the quinoa that we had previously cooked. We just added enough to get the look we were going for. I know that's super non descriptive, but sometimes thats how the cooking world works. Just so it looked like there was a good mix of quinoa to egg mixture. Then came the soy sauce. I HIGHLY recommend the low sodium variety. I find the real deal to be SUPER salty and then I am really puffy the next day. Who wants to be puffy?! Isn't that what we are trying to get rid of? The extra puff? :)

So again this is an eyeball thing. Add enough soy sauce to get the flavor you are going for. If you want you can add a little garlic paste to your soy sauce for a little added flavor. Before serving make sure to taste test it and be confident that it's just right! Once you've added the right amount of LOW SODIUM soy sauce. (did you catch that I think you should use low sodium soy sauce), garnish with sliced green onions. So there you have it folks! Super simple supper that is sure to please! Everyone in the house ate dinner tonight, including Porkchop! And that's saying something!

How to make quinoa in a rice cooker:

1. Using a fine mesh sieve rinse 1 cup of organic quinoa in cold water (unless it states on the box that you don't need to rinse).
2. Dump rinsed quinoa into your rice cooker.
3. Add 2 cups fresh water* see notes.
4. Turn on your rice cooker.

That's it. In about fifteen minutes* you'll have hot fluffy quinoa to play with.

Quinoa is rather bland on its own and loves flavor spikes.  So add herbs etc. My favorite thing to do is stir-fry cooked quinoa with various seasonings- herbs, garlic, spices, onion, etc. I add in fresh veggies and whatever else I might have on hand.

For those with out a rice cooker

Add the cup of rinsed organic quinoa to a saucepan; add 2 cups fresh water; bring to a boil, lower the heat to low; cover and simmer until cooked. Fluff with a fork.

Season while warm and use in salads or stuffing recipes, Store covered, in the fridge, for almost instant meals. Use within three days for best taste.

Notes about cooking quinoa 

Start with 2 cups water in a rice cooker. At higher altitudes, use  more water-- 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups water. High altitude also requires a longer cooking time, generally. 

If the quinoa turns out too crunchy or nubby you need to up the ratio of water to grain; start by adding another 1/4 cup liquid. I prefer my quinoa soft and tender, fluffed with a fork. Note- red and black quinoa may require extra water- especially if it turns out more crunchy than fluffy.