Sicilian-Style Toasted Quinoa
photo by januarybride
- Ready In:
- 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 78.78 ml sun-dried tomato (not oil-packed)
- 236.59 ml boiling water
- 29.58 ml olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1892.72 ml shredded swiss chard (1 pound)
- 3.69 ml salt
- 473.18 ml quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2.46 ml pepper
- 118.29 ml salted dry roasted sunflower seeds
- 78.78 ml golden raisin
- 78.78 ml grated parmesan cheese
directions
- In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water.
- Let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
- (Timing may vary depending upon dryness of tomatoes.) When softened, thinly slice.
- In large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.
- Add Swiss chard, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes or until chard is tender.
- Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
- Add drained quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add 4 cups water, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
- Transfer mixture to large bowl.
- Stir in sunflower seeds, raisins, Parmesan, Swiss chard mixture, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Toss with a fork to combine.
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Reviews
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Rita’s got great recipes! I think every single one that I’ve tried I’ve liked (and I’m terribly remiss in posting reviews) so to everyone reading this don’t ever be afraid to try her recipes, they’re ALL good! I did two things differently making this (because of my time constraints) I cooked the chard ahead of time so when it came to measuring out liquid, there was lots in the container, so I poured it into a measuring cup to take that into consideration measuring out 4 c liquid to 2 c quinoa… and the rest of the liquid to cook the quinoa I used chicken stock that I had on hand. (punched up the flavor a bit) Served with some oven roasted garbanzo beans seasoned with curry and the family REALLY enjoyed this and forgot that I was serving them a meatless meal! Thanks for sharing, Rita, I will surely make this again!
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This is truly an exotic and wonderful recipe. I had some misgivings about the raisins and the parmesan cheese combination, but I figure, "don't knock it until you try it." So, don't be afraid folks; I tried it, and was delighted. I used spinach because that was what I had on hand, and it worked perfectly. I also made half a recipe so that we wouldn't have a huge bowl full of leftovers. Quinoa is nutty and delicious, and is especially nice in this recipe. Good post, RitaL!
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Tweaks
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This was better than I expected, but I didn't love it, although I wanted to. I think I might just have to get used to the flavor and texture of quinoa since it's totally new to us. I only had oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, so I drained them and squeezed as much oil out as I could in a paper towel. I also used a little of the oil to saute the chard. I used toasted pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds, which seemed to work beautifully. I also substituted 2 of the 4 cups of water with 2 cups of chicken broth I had on hand. My husband liked it (which says A LOT), especially when he added some of the bacon that was on our chef salad to it. He said the smoky flavor went well with the other flavors. I tried it and he was right! So if you don't absolutely have to make it vegetarian, try the bacon. :)
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This was an awesome salad-one of my first attempts to cook quinoa. Was a hit at a BBQ, especially among vegetarian friends. Definitely, cook the quinoa first as it does take longer. I made a few changes; used spinach instead of chard and added 2 roasted red peppers (chopped finely) as well as the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Will be sharing the recipe w/a few people. Thx Rita for a wonderful addition to my recipe book!
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I didn't have sundried tomatoes and made it vegan (I used a little more oil and no cheese) and it was very good. I would start the quinoa first as it takes longer, otherwise the veggies might get overcooked (or at least sit around for a while). I think you could substitute any leafy green for the chard and any type of nut for the sunflower seeds and it would still be good. I bet spinach and walnuts would be good.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Rita1652
Jamesburg, New Jersey