Recipe: Quinoa Con Queso

QUINOA (THE BASIC RECIPE)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Before they are processed by washing or dry polishing, quinoa seeds are covered with a saponin which has a bitter taste. Remove any saponin residue by rinsing quinoa thoroughly with cold water before cooking. Drain excess water. Place quinoa and water in a 1/2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). You will know that the quinoa is done when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Makes 3 cups.

QUINOA CON QUESO

1 cup quinoa, washed and drained
1 cup light cream or unsweetened evaporated milk
1 pound potatoes, preferably gold, purple, and red varieties
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 to 2 peeled and seeded mild green chiles, chopped or 1 4-ounce can mild green chiles
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
8-ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar cheese
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of cold water following basic recipe. When done, stir in cream and set aside. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan boil potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender. Peel and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and sautee until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce, chiles, and cilantro. Add quinoa mixture and diced potatoes to skillet and fold together gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Either fold in all of cheese and heat and serve quinoa directly from skillet, or fold in half of cheese, transfer mixture to a shallow buttered 8-cup baking dish and top with remaining cheese. If serving in a baking dish, heat in preheated 350 F. oven for about 20 minutes until casserole is bubbling and cheese on top is melted. Makes 6 to 8 servings.