3 Recipes On Quinoa Salad - Part II

Morning! It's Monday and here is Part II of my quinoa dishes which I would like to share with you. And if you have missed out Part I, here is the link. These super-grains can be used to make different food like salad, pancake, bread, cakes, porridge and etc which makes a healthy replace for our usual flours or grains.

In this post, I will be sharing how to use cooked quinoa and turn them into salad, fritters and risotto to create a hearty meal for the family. But if  you have any easy recipes on quinoa do feel free to share with us your post link or ideas on the comment box below too.

MUSHROOM AND BACON QUINOA SALAD

This Mushroom And Bacon Quinoa Salad was inspired by one of my friend, AiYen when we were chatting about Quinoa on skype last week. She told me she would like to try out her first quinoa dish with bacon and mushrooms so on that afternoon I loot back some bacon from the supermarket to test out her suggestion.

To our surprise this combination taste quite good with hint of bacon flavour and it's crispy texture hidden within the quinoa salad which blends well with the overall taste. But perhaps for next round I might add in a splash of extra virgin olive oil or lemon juice to lift up the taste.

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Quinoa, rinse and drained
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
10 Medium Brown Mushrooms, quarters
100g Low Salt Bacon
Pinch Of Sea Salt Flakes
6 Dried Apricot, sliced
Some Lettuce Mix and Cherry Tomato

Method:-
1. Cook quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it)

2. Meanwhile, saute bacon till slightly crisp, remove and cut into bite size pieces. Next toss in mushrooms and cook till soften, remove and set aside in mixing bowl together with bacon.

3. Add in cooked quinoa, tomato and apricot into mixing bowl. Season the mixture with some salt and pepper, toss in lettuce mix and give it a quick stir till combined.

4. Since I have left over pomelo in the fridge, I decided to add in two wedges for some bursting flavour.

5. Lastly divide quinoa salad into plates and serve warm.

Short Cooking Clip:

If you cannot view the video above, click on my Instagram link here.

MUSHROOM QUINOA RISOTTO

Risotto is a classic Italian rice dishes that cooked in broth together with other ingredients like butter, wine and onion to a creamy consistency. For this recipe I replicate the dish with white quinoa instead of the usual risotto rice and it taste just a good too. And in order to complete the meal, I match it with some salad and pan-fry sole fillet.

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Pieces (150g each) of Fish Fillet
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Quinoa, rinse and drained
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
10 Medium Brown Mushrooms, sliced thickly
1 Small Brown Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Pinch Of Sea Salt Flakes
1/2 Cup White Wine
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, optional
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley

Method:-
1. Cook quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it)

2. Meanwhile preheat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, pan-fry the fish fillet (lightly season with salt and pepper plus some chilli flakes and dried herbs) till both sides are brown and cooked through. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, heat up 2 tablespoon oil, add in onion and cooked till soften before add in garlic and mushroom in order.

4. Stirring the mushroom in between and cooked till soften before add in wine and continue to simmer on medium low heat till liquid half way evaporated.

5. Add in cooked quinoa to the mushroom mixture, season to taste. Off the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

5. Divide quinoa risotto into plates, arrange salad and fish fillet on the sides and serve warm.

Short Cooking Clip:

If you cannot view the video above, click on my Instagram link here.

QUINOA FRITTERS WITH SALMON SALAD AND WHIPPED POTATO

Instead of serving quinoa as salad like what I did for the past few recipes, I turn this batch into yummy "quinoa fritters" to go with our salmon salad. These quinoa fritters works similar like  "risotto patties" which used ingredients like rice, salmon, tuna, bacon and etc.

 Overall these quinoa fritters taste great with a crisp outer skin, soft and moist quinoa plus carrot fillings when eaten. And most important it goes well with the salmon salad and whipped potato which makes it a hearty dish for the family.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Quinoa, rinse and drained
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
Rind Of 1 Lemon
1 Egg
100ml Fresh Milk
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Medium Carrot, grated
Pinch Of Sea Salt Flakes
1.5 Tablespoons Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley

Salmon Salad
250g Salmon Fillet, cubes
Some Cherry Tomato, halved
1 Packet of Mesclum Mix

Whipped Potato
5 - 6 Medium Potato, skin remove; cubes
50ml Fresh Milk
40g Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
Salt and Pepper

Method:-
1. Cook quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it) Set aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in grated carrot, chopped parsley, minced garlic, lemon rind, cooked quinoa, flour,  milk and egg, stir and mix together till combined.

3. Preheat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Drop in one tablespoon of fritter mixture one at a time till it filled up the empty spaces.

4. Cook fritters for 2 minutes, turn and flatten slightly and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove, set aside to drain and repeat with the remaining batter.

5. In another saucepan, cook potato cubes with water covering the potato together with 1/4 teaspoon of salt on low heat (covered) till soften.

6. Using a fork (or potato masher) roughly mashed the cooked potato (drained well). Add 1-2 cubes of butter at a time together with some milk, continue to beat the potato until smooth and fluffy.

7. Season potato with salt and pepper and set aside.

8. Pan-fry salmon cubes with some olive oil till slightly brown and cook through. Toss drained salmon cubes into salad together with dressing sauce and mix well.

9. Divide salmon salad on plates, top with some mashed potato and quinoa fritters. Serve warm.

Lastly I hope you will find these quick recipes useful when you are ready to try out some quinoa dishes. Till then have a great week ahead. Cheers!