Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Recipe

Typically when I have a guest post, I write a little blurb at the top, but my next guest writer already did that for me. That’s just how amazing she is. A lawyer by day, a chef and blogger at night, and mommy 24/7, Sarah amazes me. She also takes awesome pictures which makes me a little jealous. That’s why I’m honored to have her guest post for me. Thanks for the delicious (healthy and easy) recipe Sarah 🙂
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello Mayahood readers! I am Sarah, stopping in for a visit from my healthy family food blog (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean. Maya and I met online, as bloggers do, and in real life–or ‘IRL” as they say– shortly after. And I fell in e-love with her spunky style and awesome energy. In between chasing around two little guys, she stays up well past my bedtime to work on her blog, and trains for half marathons. Gack! So of course I was thrilled and honoured when she invited me to share a recipe with all of you.

Maya’s busy life doesn’t leave a lot of time for cooking, which she describes as a “chore, a must, something I’m not passionate about”. So it was essential that the recipe I create for her be quick and easy. And with toddlers and marathon runners to fuel, the recipe also had to be healthful and kid friendly. Preferably with broccoli, says Maya, as her family doesn’t eat enough of it.

Enter this recipe for cheesy broccoli quinoa. A favourite dinner of my two year old monkey (aka the Bean) and an equally beloved dinner side dish or lunch for me and the hubby (aka Kiwi). It’s packed with nutritious stuff (quinoa, green veggies, cheese), comes together in less than half an hour, and keeps for several days in the refrigerator. Does it get any better than that?

If your kiddos aren’t on board with quinoa yet, you can sub in brown rice, and increase the cooking time to about 35 or 40 minutes (or according to the package directions). And if broccoli doesn’t float their boat you can replace it with chopped baby spinach, cauliflower florets or grated zucchini. In a pinch, a cup of frozen mixed vegetables will also do the trick.

This dish makes a full meal all on its own (think risotto), but is also a great side dish for chicken, fish or beef. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and find yourself with instant toddler dinner for several days. Dream. Come. True.

For more quick and healthy family meal ideas, you can follow Kiwi & Bean on Facebook, right over here. I can’t wait to meet you!

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Recipe

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup quinoa

2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets

1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (preferably old or extra old)

Directions

Rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain well in a fine mesh sieve/strainer. Set quinoa aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add onion and saute until onion is soft and starting to brown. Add quinoa and continue to cook and stir over medium heat for about a minute, coating the quinoa evenly in the butter. Add the chicken or vegetable broth. Cover, turn heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn it down to low (keep covered) and let it cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is almost soft. Remove cover and stir in broccoli florets and frozen peas if using; cover again and let the veggies steam for a couple of minutes. When the liquid is fully absorbed and the broccoli is tender, stir in the cheese and serve it up.

Yield: 4 side-dish sized servings