Hello, and welcome to this edition of cooking with Liquid, where we learn how to create tasty dishes on a frugal budget 😀 Today we will prepare a simple quinoa recipe.
For those who have never heard of quinoa before it’s pronounced (KEEN-wah.) You can buy it at places like Whole Foods, Costco, and even Walmart. Today I’ll use the organic quinoa from Costco that comes in a 4 pound green bag for $18. It works out to be $4.5/lb.
Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa (170 grams)
1 carrot
1/4 cup of spinach
1 cup of quinoa = $1.70
Carrot + spinach = $0.50
Total Recipe Cost: $2.20
Cooking Instructions:
1) Cut vegetables into small pieces
2) Mix all the ingredients in a pot or saucepan, along with 2.5 cups of water
3) Close the lid and cook over the stove top on medium heat for 20 minutes
Est voila 😀 Just remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and bon appétit! Add salt and pepper to taste or use your own choice of seasoning. Quinoa is tasteless so it can be flavored any way you like.
This recipe makes 2 servings so it’s a great meal for two, or it makes two meals for one 🙂 Each serving contains about 350 calories. You can mix in some pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch, or add 1 tablespoon of honey for a sweeter taste. You may also add blueberries, banana slices, oats, cooked beans, mixed nuts, cucumber, and other veggies. Quinoa is very versatile and pretty much goes with anything 😀
Quinoa is full of essential nutrients 🙂 One cup of uncooked quinoa has 24 grams of protein (the complete kind) which is about half the recommended daily value. It also contains calcium, folate, magnesium, 12 grams of dietary fiber, and 43% of the recommended daily intake of iron. Hipsters like quinoa because it’s gluten free and vegan friendly. Quinoa is also high in riboflavin which helps reduce headache pains for migraine sufferers by improving the metabolism in their brain and muscle tissues. Quinoa also has complex carbohydrate with low glycemic index which is good for weight management. So whether you’re looking for protein, iron, or just a cheap and nutritious meal, quinoa has something for everyone. At just $1.10 per serving it’s one of the most affordable super foods around 😀
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Random Useless Fact:
The word for the day after tomorrow is overmorrow.
Awesome! I was introduced by my sister and just made it the other day with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, apple and made my own vinegrete dressing. Turned out nicely and can have it for a few servings! Lots a stuff you can throw in there … I bought a small pack from Walmart for like $3 something. Costco is better deal if u going to make it often!
That sounds like a great recipe too. I have a few apples and lemons so maybe I’ll try a citrus flavour next time.
Its all about having a balanced lifestyle… No good having lots of money if you are not healthy enough to spend it 😉 Quinoa is awesome stuff. Liked seeing your price for it from Costco out here in BC… In Ontario our last bag from Costco cost the same… For dessert, I recommend the dried Calimyrna Figs, also from Costco. – Cheers.
I’m going to wait until Costco has it on sale and buy 3 packages lol. We grow quinoa in Canada, but not much, so most of our quinoa is still imported from South America.
Interesting meal. I have heard of quinoa and tried it once but never made it myself. May have to add it to my to do list. 🙂 Do you have any other recipes?
I like how quinoa can be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner :0) All my recipe related posts are here.
This looks so good! I use quinoa on the reg and put it in everything. =)
I like how quinoa gives you a lot of energy for your workouts 🙂
Nom nom nom… I love Quinoa. Another Quinoa recipe to add to my collection 😀
I wish I had known about this wonderful grain earlier.