quinoa Archives | Fake Food Free

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

September 23, 2010

I think I have a problem. I tend to go a little crazy when it comes to buying grains. Wheat berries, couscous, Israeli couscous, millet, brown rice, white rice, sticky rice, oats and quinoa. There have even been occasions when I lost track of which grain was which since I buy them from the bulk bin.

See, I told you I have a problem.

I keep buying because every time I’m in the store I have great ideas of what I will make. Not to mention that if it is a hard grain to find at a great price, I just can’t resist.

As I get settled into the new job I’m finding my cooking creativity is suffering. I trust it will return, but right now I’ve got lots of grains and no cooking going on.

Last night I was motivated, though. Weak as it may have been, I made an attempt to use up my rations. I turned to the red quinoa.

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts Recipe | Fake Food Free

Not in the mood for savory, I went sweet. And not just sweet, but an autumn-inspired sweet. I’m amazed at how well quinoa turns out with fruits and other sweet additions. The nutty flavor comes out and it tastes like it was meant to be.

I sautéed pears with mascavo sugar, cinnamon, ginger and walnuts. Once tossed with some cooked red quinoa, it became this morning’s perfect breakfast. The best meal I’ve had all week!

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons mascavo sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 pear, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
1 cup cooked, red quinoa

Prep

Melt the butter and sugar in a skillet on medium heat. Add the cinnamon and ginger and cook until bubbly.

Add the chopped pear, and stir to coat with the sugar mixture. Cook about 1 minute, careful to keep the pears somewhat firm. Add the walnuts.

Stir in the quinoa and serve warm.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa

March 12, 2010

I have a few races under my belt since first making this nutty cauliflower quinoa, but it still the type of meal I turn to when I need to refuel for running!

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa | Fake Food Free

With all the running we’ve been doing, me training for my first half marathon and my husband training for his first full, I’ve really been trying to up the vegetable intake in our diet. After reading 50/50 by Dean Karnazes (an incredibly inspiring and informative book even if you are not a runner, by the way), my husband’s request was an increase in dark, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.

It’s not that we don’t eat these foods, but with our travel the end of last year and our recent move I’ve had a hard time getting back into the groove with my cooking. Things are getting better though. I’ve been relying some on cauliflower for part of our cruciferous intake.

In the research world, cruciferous veggies get most of their attention for the potential to reduce cancer risk. Cauliflower, specifically, is also an excellent source of vitamins C, K and folate. Cauliflower also happens to be one of my favorite veggies. In addition to liking the flavor, I like that I can prepare it in a variety of ways. We eat it mashed, steamed, raw, and in a bit of a stir-fry or sauté which happens to be how I prepared it for my lunch yesterday.

I had some quinoa left over from a meal earlier this week and I decided to make that the base of my lunch. I chopped the cauliflower in small florets, cooked it in a skillet, and then added some chopped walnuts and spices. To finish it off I combined it with the quinoa for a bowl of whole grain and veggie goodness. The nutty flavor of the walnuts and cauliflower and the seed-like crunch of quinoa paired well with the bold spices of the poultry seasoning I tossed in.

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa

2015-07-08 09:57:48

Makes: 3 main course servings

Write a review

Save Recipe

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, soaked, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups water
1/8 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cauliflower

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
¼ cup water
¾ cup raw walnuts, chopped
½ teaspoon fine ground salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions

Stir together the water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover with a secure lid, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Stir in the 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the water, reduce the heat just a bit, cover with a lid and allow to cook until the cauliflower is slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and ensure all the water has evaporated. Add the walnuts (you can also choose to toast them before adding), and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the remaining salt, black pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Stir to coat the veggie and nuts.
In a large bowl toss together the quinoa, cauliflower and nuts, and serve.

By Lori Rice

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

This post contains affiliate links.

*************************************

More info on cauliflower and cruciferous veggies:
WHFoods: Cauliflower
Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute: Cruciferous Vegetables

quinoa

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa

Thanks so much for reading!

My New Cookbook published in 2020!

Looking for a post? Search here.