Quinoa Pilaf

When my daughter Rachel goes away to sleep away camp every summer, she always requests this side dish as part of her "last" meal the night before she leaves. This usually accompanies lamb chops and sauteed spinach. This is so easy as you cook quinoa the same way you cook rice

with a 2 to 1 ratio liquid to quinoa/rice. I usually just saute a bunch of veggies from my fridge and add it the cooked quinoa. It's a good way to use up what you have lying around in your fridge.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 box sliced mushrooms

1 small onion diced

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup chopped red and yellow bell pepper

1 cup frozen baby peas

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 T olive oil

Preparation:

Combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan over high heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover pot. Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed about 10 minutes.

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and just starting to brown. Add the other vegetables and saute until just starting to soften. Add in the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.