Whatever You Got - Quinoa Bake!

We all have those nights at home when we need to throw something together for dinner - we want it to be tasty & healthy, yet it may seem like we have nothing on hand but a bunch of random ingredients.  This is the best time to be creative!  A self-taught home cook (with the exception of watching my mother & grandmother cook growing up) I have learned that ingredient substitution can be the key to a successful meal, just when thought you didn't have what you need!

I call the recipe below Whatever You Got - Quinoa Bake because after reading a number of various quinoa recipes online, I realized I had similar ingredients but none that exactly matched any recipe I found.  I noticed that some recipes called for milk & flour - but I only had breadcrumbs and low-fat sour cream.  Some called for fresh spinach & parmesan cheese, or shallots & bell peppers - but I only had frozen spinach & fat-free feta.  What to do?  Substitute!  Use up what you have, whether it's fresh or frozen ingredients - if the combination sounds like it would be good then give it a try!  This is also a great way to learn some cooking basics :)

It's also a good idea to keep some staple items in your cupboard to serve as a base for those random week night (or weekend) dishes. Some of my favorites include quinoa, rice & pasta - they are affordable, will last you a long time & offer endless meal options.  I have to say that quinoa is my current favorite, although it used to do nothing but sit on the shelves in the grocery store and intimidate me as I made my way down the aisle.  Afraid no more, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and I now collaborate often, lucky for me.  This little wonder seed (also considered a whole-grain but is actually a seed) is not only packed with vitamins, minerals & fiber, but it is also a complete protein - which means it's a great alternative to protein-rich meats & fish.  

To cook quinoa you must first soak the seeds in water (cold or room temp) for a few minutes in order to remove the naturally bitter coating called saponin.  I like to put the seeds in a sieve set in a bowl of water to soak - that way it's easily transferable to the pot for cooking.  Various brands of quinoa may give you slightly different cooking directions, but I think it's easiest to stick to a rule of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (or broth if you choose).

Check out the recipe for my Whatever You Got - Quinoa Bake below - a healthy & filling weeknight dinner.  The combination I came up with ended up tasting somewhat similar to Thanksgiving stuffing - I was not mad.  I've also listed suggestions for substitutions, so get creative y'all!

Chicken broth | Bouillon cubes | Quinoa

Sieve of Quinoa soaking in a bowl of water, pre-cooking

Broth & Quinoa getting ready to cook

The Quinoa seeds will turn a bit translucent when fully cooked | It will look as
 if there is a white thread running through the middle that you can now see 

While quinoa is cooking, get your veggies & any other ingredients ready.  Depending on what you use, this may require some thawing, chopping, mincing, etc.  If you're following the recipe ingredients I used, first thaw out about simply thaw out about 1 cup of spinach (I placed in a glass bowl and zapped in the microwave for 1.5 mins).  Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  Add 1 tblsp oil to a skillet on medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and spinach to pan and sauté for another 2 minutes then remove from heat.

Once quinoa is cooked, transfer veggies from pan into the pot with the quinoa.  Add the feta and shredded cheese (or whatever cheeses you decided on).  Add the sour cream, breadcrumbs and egg white and stir until fully incorporated.  Season generously with Italian seasoning.  Add salt & pepper and transfer to a square casserole dish (I used a 9x13 inch glass dish).

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  Let the bake sit for a few minutes before cutting into it - the inside of the bake will be gooey & soft.  If you're a hot sauce fan, I recommend having a bottle on hand to top this baby off - Cholula Original hot sauce is my personal favorite - Enjoy!

Spinach | Chopped onion | Minced garlic

Ingredients all incorporated

Finished product

Whatever You Got - Quinoa Bake

Ingredients
(Substitution suggestions in parentheses)

- 1 cup uncooked quinoa

- 2 cups chicken broth (beef broth, vegetable broth or water also work; broths add more flavor for few calories & you can buy reduced-sodium broths; I keep bouillon cubes in the house because I never use up a carton of broth before it goes bad - this way you can get 2 cups of broth at a time and the little box comes with 6 cubes)

- 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed (sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccoli work; other veggies you could add include bell peppers, carrots, corn, zucchini, squash)

- 1/2 cup diced onion (red, white or yellow onion; green onion or shallots will work)

- 2 cloves minced garlic (actual garlic is best, but 2 tblsp garlic powder would do in a pinch)
- 1 tblsp oil (olive or canola)

- 1/2 cup fat-free crumbled feta (any cheese will work-goat, herb feta, etc.-but keep low & non-fat options in mind if wanting a lighter calorie dish)

- 3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese (any cheese you like works, again keeping lighter options in mind)

- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (if you don't have breadcrumbs use 1/2 cup of flour! Otherwise, Italian or any style bread crumbs will work, but Panko tend to have fewer calories)

- 1 egg white, lightly beaten

- 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream (other recipes called for the same amount of milk or Greek yogurt, so either would be fine also)

- Italian seasoning: I use McCormick Italian Herb Grinder, to taste (fresh or bottled herbs or other Italian seasoning will work; could add red pepper flakes or cayenne for a little kick)

- salt & pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.  Measure out 1 cup of quinoa and pour into sieve set in a bowl of room temperature water; let soak for 3-5 minutes. Remove sieve from bowl and let excess water drip into bowl before transferring quinoa to a med-large pot.  Heat 2 cups of water until boiling (I did in microwave for 3.5 mins) then add 1 chicken bouillon cube and whisk until dissolved.  Add broth to pot and stir together with quinoa.  Heat on stove until quinoa reaches a boil then reduce to simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 15 mins), stirring every few minutes.