Nine for Random Chatter, doomed to die

[Rifka]

I was finishing up some work stuff this afternoon and I flipped on the TV for some noise while I worked. On the BYU TV channel there was a cooking program where the chef/cook was teaching how to cook with quinoa, which I have never tried before. I have been inspired to buy some quinoa and try some recipes with it.

[Wisteria]

Yeah, quinoa! Incidentally, I can tell you probably just about anything about quinoa that you want to know. It's a very interesting plant. I used to do genetic research on it.

[NerdGirl]

I just ate some quinoa.

[Rifka]

Awesome! Do either of you (or anyone else that feels like chiming in) have any good/favorite recipes for quinoa?

[krebscout]

I'd like anybody's recipes, too. I bought some at Costco, and I have no idea what to do with it but I'm a fan of exploring new foods, especially healthy ones.

[NerdGirl]

So, a lot of the time I will just use quinoa as a substitute for rice, or just serve it with butter as a side dish the way I would with rice. But here are a few of my specific recipes (that I should probably put on my blog sometime!):

Quinoa and Lentil Casserole with Baked Chicken

Ingredients
Cooked quinoa
Cooked lentils
Canned diced or crushed tomatoes
Some diced veggies (I used green onions, celery, and carrots)
Any kind of uncooked chicken pieces
A bit of chicken broth if your mixture seems like it doesn't have enough liquid

This is inspired by that rice and cream of whatever soup casserole with chicken on top of it. Mix the quinoa and lentils with the canned tomatoes and veggies in a casserole dish. Place the chicken on top. Bake at 350F for 60-90 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. You can also add cheese, either sprinkled on top or mixed in with the quinoa/lentils/tomatoes. This is also a great vegetarian main dish if you leave the chicken out, because quinoa has a lot of protein and iron.

Leftover Quinoa with Veggies and Cheese
I also do this with rice. Take leftover quinoa, mix it in a large frying pan with a can of diced or crushed tomatoes and some finely diced carrots, celery, and onions. Heat until quinoa is hot and some of the tomato liquid has been absorbed, then stir in some grated cheese and keep cooking until the cheese starts to melt. I ate this for lunch every day last week!

Quinoa Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
Cold cooked quinoa

Lemon juice or vinegar
Olive oil

Any combination of the following:
Cold shredded chicken
Diced celery
Diced cucumber
Sliced green onion
Sunflower seeds
Diced bell peppers
Raisins
Crumbled bacon

Mix it all up and eat it.

Quinoa with Braised Vegetables
To make the braised vegetables:
Combination of onions, celery, fennel, bell peppers, cabbage, and sweet potatoes, cut into 3-inch chunks.
Vegetable, chicken, or beef brother to cover
1-2 tablespoons butter or oil
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 tablespoon white or brown sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place vegetables in large saucepan and cover with broth. Add balsamic vinegar, butter or oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very soft and all liquid has been absorbed. This takes can take 30 minutes to an hour. Stir often and adjust heat level to maintain simmer.

Then stir this into some cooked quinoa.

[NerdGirl]

Also I like to substitute quinoa for ground beef in chili and spaghetti sauce.

[Imogen]

i'm going to have 200 students next year. that's double what i had last year. DOUBLE!! i'm exhausted just thinking about it.

[Rifka]

Thanks, NerdGirl! Your ideas sound delicious. I'm excited to try them out!

[Dragon Lady]

a) I just got back from a week at Lake Powell. It was awesome. I am tired.
b) I got back to a comment on my blog from a person with only 18 profile views, so I have to guess she's probably not spam, but she's part of a Muslim polygamist family, and I have to wonder… why in the world is this girl reading my blog?
c) I have 295 unread blogs in my Google Reader. This may have to wait till Monday to catch up on (as well as the Board Board minus this thread because I wanted to type all this in here) because it's a little overwhelming.
d) I'm giving a talk in church tomorrow and I'm not ready. It's only 10 minutes long, though. But I can't decide if that's the good news or the bad news. (I'm really bad at condensing my thoughts.)

[Whistler]

Rifka was in my dream last night. She set up a treasure hunt for me to become a Board writer again, and she could spy on campus from her bedroom window.

[Katya]

d) I'm giving a talk in church tomorrow and I'm not ready. It's only 10 minutes long, though. But I can't decide if that's the good news or the bad news. (I'm really bad at condensing my thoughts.)

I have the opposite problem. I tend to boil my thoughts down so much that I have trouble filling my allotted time.

[Rifka]

Rifka was in my dream last night. She set up a treasure hunt for me to become a Board writer again, and she could spy on campus from her bedroom window.

That's hilarious! Especially because I live on campus, so I could spy on campus from my bedroom (or at least the freshman part of it). A treasure hunt sounds fun. Can I be a board writer too, since I set up the treasure hunt?

[Unit of Energy]

I sort of have an apartment to myself. The two girls that moved to other apartments in my ward also have apartments to their selves, so we haven't really separated yet. It's a good thing too, since I'm struggling a little bit with the fact that my two best friends moved eight blocks or ten blocks away. I don't care how much of a good thing them leaving is for all of us, I want them back in my complex.

[Marduk]

I miss Vorpal.

[NerdGirl]

I miss Vorpal.

Man, me too.

[Dragon Lady]

I miss Vorpal.

Man, me too.

He reads my blog and comments sometimes. It's fun to have a little bit of Vorpal creep into my life here and there.

[NerdGirl]

I miss Vorpal.

Man, me too.

He reads my blog and comments sometimes. It's fun to have a little bit of Vorpal creep into my life here and there.

He does?! I'm so jealous! Tell him to come back!

[Whistler]

well, that's a sentiment I don't share

[TheAnswerIs42]

Yeah. I'm good. I mean, I liked Vorpal himself, but usually he got argumentative quickly, and I was never a fan when that happened to threads.