Quinoa Casserole

This is one of the very first whole foods dish that I made. It has remained on Hottie Hubby's and my favorite meal list. I originally cooked this interesting meal because I had NEVER heard of the grain quinoa.

Do you know how to pronounce it? You might be surprised

Ecuadorian Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients:

2 c quinoa
6 c water, plus 2 tbls whey, yogurt, or kefir
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tbls olive oil
1 tsp annatto seeds (go to your local Mexican grocery store)
4 c beef or chicken stock (I have also used vegetable stock.)
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cloves mashed garlic
2 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 bunch cilantro, tied together
1/2 c creme fraiche (or sour cream)
5 tbls cream cheese

1. Sprout/soak the quinoa in warm water with the whey for at least 12 hours. (If you can't do this, your meal will still taste the same. However, it won't be quite as nutritious.)

2. Rinse and drain well.

(I used coconut oil, mainly because I add coconut oil to everything.)

3. Saute annatto seeds in oil for several minutes or until the oil turns yellow. Remove seeds with a slotted spoon or any other creative method you may have for straining.

(These are annatto seeds. For years I NEVER used this ingredient in this dish. But when I joined a food coop, one of our vendors carried them.)

(You are only supposed to use 1 tsp, but I accidentally
read the directions wrong and used 2 tbls!)

4. Saute onions in the reddish-yellow leftover oil, adding garlic at the last minute. It does produce an interesting smell. Not offensive, just different.


5. Add quinoa and stock and bring to a boil. Skim, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour on low heat.


6. About 1/2 hour into the simmering process, add potatoes and salt.

7. Add cilantro 10 minutes before your dish hits the table! Be sure to remove the large stalk of cilantro, as your guest may not appreciate so much green in their quinoa dish.

8. Garnish with creme fraiche and cream cheese. If you lack these items . . . it will still taste good.