You Can Taco to Me

First of all, let me reassure you:  If you have ever wondered if you are pronouncing the word "quinoa" correctly, don't you dare feel badly about it.  I have mistakenly, blindly, said it as "qwinn-o-ah" for the LONGEST time!  In fact, it has only been about 5 years now that I have known how to say it properly, like this:  "Keen-wa."  So, yeah.  I thought I knew...but I so did not know.  But!  Now I do!  And so I always try and remember to pronounce it correctly, mostly out of respect for all those plant-based dieter friends of mine, but also out of love for our spoken language, English.  So please.  Throw your shame and guilt on the floor, and do it now.  Abandon that guilt.  After all, that is how the silly word is spelled, Q-U-I-N-O-A.  And, it's not like there's a pronunciation key on the side of every box and bag we buy at Best Yet, am I right?  Yes?  I rest my case.     

I once saw a picture of a menu online.  I zoomed in so I could read the menu, because that is just how nosey I can get!  Anyway, I love menus, everything about them, in fact.  I zoomed in and an entree description of QUINOA TACOS caught my eye.  I knew I wanted to make these this week, and so I did.  I was worried I would not love them, but I sooooo, sooo doooooo.  Now it is YOUR turn!  Or maybe you are light years ahead of me and already knew how delicious this offbeat seed would taste if, revamped and up-styled, you'd be okay with it replacing the usual ground beef taco your family loves.  

If you even care, according to Bob's Red Mill website, quinoa is often prepared like a grain, and it is  actually a member of the spinach, chard, and beet family. Quinoa is the seed of the Chenopodium plant, a green leafy plant that sprouts numerous flowers. Occasionally, different parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, and the leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Still, quinoa is mostly grown for its seeds which are cooked similarly to rice and can be used in a large variety of recipes. While quinoa can grow in many different weather conditions, it prefers a cool climate at a high elevation. The quinoa seed is a pseudocereal, as opposed to a grain. Pseudocereals are plants that produce seeds and fruits that are similar to grains and used in virtually the same ways. High in protein, nutrients, and vitamins, pseudocereals are most commonly gluten free and considered whole grains, despite not being a true grain. 

Okay, enough with the ripped-off nutrition lesson.  I know you're foaming at the mouth to try these, so let's just get down to business, shall we?  Hmmmkay.  We shall.  

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First, you need to rinse the quinoa.  I did this by simply soaking it in water for about 2 minutes, then straining it with cheesecloth.  If your colander has holes small enough to drain the quinoa without it escaping into the sink, then by all means use it!  I, however, did not have one with small enough holes so I used what I had and strained it with cheesecloth.  This is what my batch looked like:

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Next, getchur pan hot.  Now, this is where I am embarrased of my kitchen pots and pans.  Quite frankly, this skillet needs to be tossed due to the scratch marks and the Teflon.  I am well aware that anything HEALTHY I was trying to achieve by cooking some quinoa was immediately negated by all these dings in my dadgum pan.  I mean, that Teflon stuff causes chills and horror in the health conscious and the food blog snobs all the same and honestly probably should be trashed.  However, I'm a real mom with a real life and a real tight freakin' budget, so new pots and pans aren't exactly a top priority for me right now.  Enter my scratched-up, abused, dishwasher-safe, 8-year-old, $15.97-plus-tax skillet from Walmart Fallapart.  Anybody doesn't like it, then they can take a flying leap.  I really don't care!  Or, I could have just saved us all some blood pressure points and used my beloved cast iron.  That would have been much easier and MUCH healthier, but surprise surprise, I didn't even think to use my cast iron.  Poor, neglected cast iron.  Trust me, I will remember for NEXT time!  ​

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 Once your raggedy little pan gets hot, add the rinsed quinoa and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  



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Do me a favor, please:  Add broth and water and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a secure lid, and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until liquid is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then crack lid and let rest for 10 minutes off heat.
Preheat oven to 375*.  'Atta girl.  Or boy.  Jeez!                     

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When it is ready, the keenwah should look like this:​

Add cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients (salsa, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil). Toss to combine. ​

Then, simply spread on a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet.  

Bake for 20-35 minutes, stirring/tossing once at the halfway point to ensure even baking.

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​The quinoa is done when it's fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn!

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As you can see, I made quinoa taco bowls rather than quinoa tacos.  My only regret is that I failed to remember to buy black olives at the grocery store....

Well, look at me, improvising and stuff!  Yes, I was a little upset at forgetting the olives, but at least I did remember the sour cream.  Here is the finished product.  I topped my bowl with sundried tomatoes from Trader Joe's, only because they are the best and the Walmart I regularly force myself go to does not always have them in stock.  Either that, or they move stuff around every time I leave, but that's another story for another day...  I think the sundrieds make the meal prettier, and they give it the right amount of sweetness.  

At any rate, I hope you will make these very soon if you have not already done so.  I am happy to report that I only ate 1 bowl tonight and have felt full allllll evening.  I only ate a small snack earlier, rather than another meal altogether, which tells me I stayed full much longer than usual, so yay!  Small victory! 

You can always put the taco quinoa into hard or soft taco shells!  Or use it for a taco burger, maybe?  Or a casserole with the base of taco meat, perhaps?  I don't know.  You do what you want to with it!  After all, it's YOUR life!  Remember, bon appetite!  You are what you eat!!

Quinoa Taco Meat
1 cup tri-color, white, or red quinoa                                    1/2 cup salsa
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable or beef broth                               1 Tbsp nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (180 ml) water                                                          2 tsp ground cumin
                                                                                                  2 tsp ground chili powder
                                                                                                   1/2 tsp garlic powder
                                                                                                   1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
                                                                                                   1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil

Instructions
1.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add rinsed quinoa and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2.  Add broth and water and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a secure lid, and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until liquid is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then crack lid and let rest for 10 minutes off heat.
3.  Preheat oven to 375*.
4.  Add cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients (salsa, nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan), cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil). Toss to combine. Then spread on a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet.
5.  Bake for 20-35 minutes, stirring/tossing once at the halfway point to ensure even baking. The quinoa is done when it's fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn!

Stuff inside taco shells, bell peppers for baking, nachos, taco salads, tostadas, and in enchiladas.  The sky's the limit with this stuff, folks, because it truly does taste soooo good.  If you agree with me after you make this dish, call me and we will taco 'bout it.  Once again, Enjoy!