My Own Version of Quinoa Pilaf + Recipe

Supergrain of the Future is what they call  quinoa, it's a complete source of protien.  I like that it is nutient-rich and very versatile to prepare.  This makes a great substitute for pasta, rice, or couscos.  This is great in salad and soup, as a side dish, or as a hearty main course.

Quinoa is something that I shy away from making because I don't know the product.  But after seeing recipes from blogs, I gave it a try.  I bought a box  of this traditional  gluten-free quinoa and tried to   make  the  recipe that comes in the box.  When I cook, I don't exactly  follow the exact recipe, I change ingredients, I cook what is available in my pantry/fridge.  For the first time I cooked half of the box (there's only 2 and 1/4 up of quinoa in this box), here's what I prepared.
Ingredients:

•  kale, sliced thinly
• Green beans, freshly picked
• I/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup celery. diced
• 1 green roma tomato, diced
• scallions, chopped
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 rap oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 cup of sliced almond (I did not put almond as I didn't have it)
• Argan oil, optional

 Preparations:

• In a 1 ans 1/2 saucepan, add 1 cup of traditional quinoa and 2 cups of water,  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all water is  absorbed.  You will know when the quinoa is done when you  the germ ring  along the outside of the grain and it's soft and translucent.

• In a pan, saute vegetables in  olive oil until crisp. Stir in oregano.  Sprinkle salt and peper.
• Add cooked quinoa and mix well.  Salt to taste and finish it off with few drizzle of culinary  argan oil

 We ate it with the pan fried  turkey sausage, it was delicious!  Surprisingly, I thought the kids and hubby will just take a few bits and they will say "It's alright" but they liked it!  I thought it could use  a little flavoring to elevate the taste.

Since we all like the first time I made the  quinoa, I decided to make the rest of the quinoa in the box today but I altered the ingredients once again.  I told you, whatever is   available in my  fridge that's what I use when I cook, lol.

•  1/4 cup yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup ornage bell pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced kale
• 1 small shallots, diced
• 4 link sausages, browned
• 1 cup  thinlysliced beans
• 1/2 cup eggplant
• a small piece of ginger, chopped
• maggi seasoning
• rgan oil
• salt and pepper

 Instead of olive oil, I  sauteed the veggies in a pan where I browned the  sausages.  It's  grease add so much flavor to the veggies.  I added some maggi seasoning after I sauteed the  veggies.  I like my veggies crunchy so I only sauteed it for 5 minutes.

 Finish it off with an argan oil.

 The kids said that incorporating the link sausages in it  is so much bette than  a separate  turkey sausages.

So that is for  my  successful ittle adventure with quinoa.  I might  buy again or I might not, depending if my family is craving for it.  I think I can eat  this dish once a week.  It's easy to prepare and it's delicious.  I just wish it's not too expensive.  This small box cost almost $5.  If youthink about it though, it's not  that much  cnsidering that I made two  separate dishes out of a small box.  I am ju0st comparing the price I guess to other commodities.