A bit about Quinoa (keen-wah)

Here is the last day of my television debut. The entire week I had one minute to give a short presentation about the stuff I had made and then the judges would give it a taste, vote and then someone would be kicked off. The ax never fell on my neck until the final day, which you can see here, but before it did, I got the chance to cook live on the show with the hosts, John and Elizabeth. We had a fabulous time stirring up what I hope can be the new Minnesota Hot Dish. So easy to make, and so good for you, add it to your go-to recipes today!

twincitieslive.com - Kitchen Star: Quick-n-Easy Quinoa

Oh, and I only spoke briefly about this during the segment, but I encourage you to make this recipe your own! See what you have in the fridge, notice what you are craving, and put it in. Maybe not Jello-pops, but certainly you can combine different things. Here's a quick list of some possibilities:
olives
garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans
chicken, fish or other meat (although you do already have enough protein in this dish without it)
fresh herbs, like basil, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme
lemon or lime juice
sundried tomatoes
red pepper flakes
bell peppers
tomatoes
jalapenos
spices such as cumin, garlic, cayenne, chinese 5 star, ginger
leafy greens (these are especially delicious)
bean sprouts
water chestnuts
corn, peas, carrots
nuts and seeds
cucumbers
different cheeses such as feta, parmesan, blue cheese, or whatever you like

You see? The list can go on and on. You could put some ginger, soy sauce, bok choy, water chestnuts and almonds for an oriental taste. You could add coconut milk, green onion, peanuts and ginger for a Thai taste, or go for basil, tomato, cucumber and onion for an Italian taste. Whatever you choose, it makes a warm, satisfying hot dish in the winter and a light, easy meal in the summer, and it is delicious hot or cold. You don't even have to stick with savory; you could turn this in to a sweet dish by adding apples, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, coconut flakes, yogurt, whatever! So get in your kitchen...you are 15 minutes away from a FEAST!