Oh my gosh I am so tired!
Not because of this monkey, whose 6 month pictures I finally got around to taking, uh, a week before he turned 7 months old (better late than never?!)
Our little prince is snoozing just fine. Mom and Dad, however, are willingly keeping themselves up at night to feed their Breaking Bad addiction. Have you seen it? AMC? Bueller?
I heard all about how awesome this show was during its 5 year run but resisted tuning in because, I don’t know… Well actually I do know – it’s about meth! I’m sure my Dad is having a heart attack reading this, what with me mentioning illicit drugs so close to his youngest grandson’s picture, but, well, this is happening.
Anyway, Ben’s the finder of all good shows that I resist watching then end up proclaiming my new favorite thing EVER! The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Girls (which I got so hooked on that I cheated and watched a full season without him in like, a day. I know.) and now, Breaking Bad. He’d been trying to get me to watch on Netflix for months and I finally caved. Wished I hadn’t waited so long!
The acting is incredible. You hate the people you should love and love the people you should hate…I can’t get enough! We’ve watched two seasons in nearly as many weeks, and are still going strong. I need an intervention! Or a book…
There’s no point to this story except to tell you that Breaking Bad is really good, and I don’t have an exciting nor relevant story to lead into a side dish I want to share with you today, mmkay? Are you still reading? Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa? Bueller? When will people stop understanding what Bueller means?
This is the last time I drink Starbucks in the afternoon!
Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa is the answer to your what to serve with dinner prayers. This dish takes 5 minutes to prep, cooks for 15 more minutes, then is ready to serve. Perfectly garlicky, creamy, and parmesan-y. Plus quinoa is packed with protein so it’s a side dish with staying power!
This dish isn’t a direct rip-off of those pasta side packets I like to makeover, like Creamy Garlic Shells and Creamy Chicken Pasta, as none of them use quinoa, but my gosh is it good.
Quinoa is quickly toasted in garlic-infused oil then cooked in chicken broth before being combined with salty parmesan cheese. Fast. Quick. Flavorful. Try this!
You’ll only need 5 kitchen staples to whip up Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa: Quinoa, of course, chicken broth, garlic, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Yes!
Start by rinsing 1 cup quinoa under cold running water in a fine mesh sieve. I got this one at my grocery store for like $2.99. Oh, and I also got the measuring cups from Target on clearance recently. They’re from Giada di Laurentiis’ line and I just love them! A couple people asked the last time I showed them so I thought I’d share.
Let the quinoa drain while you heat 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat then add 3 cloves minced garlic. I bought a garlic press from IKEA the last time I was there and I swear to you it was the best $3 I have ever spent. I usually loathe unitaskers in the kitchen, but I’m making a hearty exception for the garlic press.
Let the garlic saute for 30 seconds to a minute, stirring constantly, until it’s light golden brown. It will go from golden brown to burnt very quickly, so keep an eye on it.
Add the drained quinoa then stir for 1 minute to let it lightly toast, and then add 1-3/4 cup gluten-free chicken broth (or vegetable broth.) Turn the heat up to bring to a boil then place a lid on top, turn the heat back down to medium-low, and then cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
By the way, a lot of people ask me how to avoid mushy quinoa and the answer is, you want the ratio of quinoa to liquid to be around 1:1.75. Or however you would write that. Point being, you want less than double the amount of liquid to quinoa!
Finally, stir in 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese. That’s it!
Let the quinoa cool for 10 minutes before serving so you really get the parmesan-garlic flavor to come through, vs singeing the bejeebers out of your tongue. As with most things in life, it’s worth the wait!
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Gluten-free Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa
Description
Gluten-free Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa is an easy side dish that's packed with protein and crowd-pleasing flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1-3/4 cups gluten-free chicken broth (could use vegetable broth)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Rinse quinoa very well under cold running water in a fine mesh sieve then drain well and set aside.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat then add garlic and saute until barely golden brown, stirring constantly (watch closely as it can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly!) Add quinoa then toast for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth then turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to medium-low and cook until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese then serve.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
I served my Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa with chicken breasts marinated in BBQ sauce then sauteed (OH how I wish they were grilled instead…soon!) and steamed broccoli. Whatever you choose to pair it with…enjoy!
[…] we’ll be trying this simple garlic parmesan quinoa on the […]
Wow this sounds so good. I love quinoa and this is a perfect healthy side dish. I can’t wait to try it.
I made this same thing a few weeks ago incidentally when I was experimenting in the kitchen, in addition to freshly grated Parmesan, I also added some fontina cheese as well since I had that lying about from another recipe. It was fantastic. I felt like the broth I used had too much sodium in it which made the dish a bit salty, so I am going to opt for a low sodium version in the future.
[…] Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats. […]
[…] Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Quinoa–> This just amplifies my love affair for quinoa. […]
Just made recipe tonight for dinner! My boyfriend, who basically hates quinoa, loved it! The cheese makes it so creamy. Delicious and simple :) Thanks!
This looks yummy, always looking for new ways to make quinoa! And we just finished the first season of Breaking Bad…hooked!
This looks amazing, and oh so simple. I am making this the second I get home!
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
I’ve tried adding quinoa to chicken/vegetable soup and a few other things however I find it’s very bland and has zero taste. I’d like to use it more because it’s high in protein however I have kind of given up due to the lack of flavor. Am I doing something wrong or is there a secret to getting it to be more flavorful? Thanks. P.S. Great pic of Lincoln…he is too cute.
Or make it vegetarian and use vegetable broth, which is what I will do.
Tried this tonight and it will become a regular!!! Thanks for the great recipe – as usual. My son always asks when I try something new “is this the Iowa girl’s?” LOL! You’re famous in my house!
This quinoa is fab, I’m sure, but what I really want to know about is the garlic press! I have contemplated asking for a long time if you had an easy way to chop garlic (I kind of hate the sticky little buggers!). Are you able to put the clove in the press with the skin on? Do you use it any time a recipe calls for chopped/minced garlic? I, like you, have resisted buying because of it’s 1 function.
Yes! I’d finally had it with those sticky little garlic pieces, and I don’t like the taste of pre-chopped, so I bought the press and have never looked back. I use it whenever a recipe calls for chopped or minced garlic. You still need to peel the clove, and occasionally cut it into quarters if it’s large, but oh my gosh it is such a time saver!
Pampered Chef’s garlic press allows you to put the whole garlic clove in, skin and all, and it does its thing with ease. It comes with a handy cleaner to get out the skin, too. Just in case you didn’t know.
Lincoln is growing fast and just ADORABLE!! Keep the pics coming. Love the blog :)
you are too funny! Your blog is my favorite!! I have made so many of your recipes! Just had to say “keep up the great work”
Love that show!! I just finished watching the last season a week ago. Have you watched Dexter? I watched that in record time!!
OMG!! I too have become addicted to Breaking Bad, I started watching 3 weeks ago and I’m at Season 4, can’t stop watching. Bryan Cranston was interviewed on Howard Stern this morning, he is opening in a play on Broadway tonight!! I will have to try try again to cook Quinoa, each time it does not cook, I don’t think I’m adding enough liquid. Thanks for the recipe and pictures of little Lincoln!
Kristin,
I’m from central NY and quinoa is hard to find here (this is actually a cop-out. It’s probably right in front of my nose in the store I use, but I’m lazy) so I substituted Royal Blend Whole Grain rice from Rice Select and increased the broth to 2 cups and the simmer time to 45 minutes. The rest was the same except that I didn’t pre-wash the rice. The result… OY! A most delicious lunch today. But I promise to look closer for quinoa the next time I’m in the store (really, I will).
Also, I’m no spring chicken any more (trust me) but reading your recipes, seeing the photo of your adorable son, and the comments from you and your readers about current TV shows makes me feel like it. So thanks for keeping me young as well as well-rounded in the culinary department.
My husband was hooked on that show! I watched toward the end, it kind of stressed me out, I think I’m in the minority :)
Loving this quinoa dish!! And the bowl ;)
Aggie!!!
I couldn’t agree more. I feel SO WEIRD when we’re watching this show:/ Just last night, my husband and I decided “NO, this is not for us” And because of all the hype — I REALLY wanted to be in the hip group, but alas, Downton Abbey is more my speed!! :) Glad I’m not alone!
SERIOUSLY! Everywhere I go I see the 1:2 quinoa to liquid ratio. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. 1:1.75 is correct. Thank you :P
Also, this dish looks deceptively simple. I will love having this in my arsenal.
Love this idea! I adore quinoa, but usually throw in so many things – I really like the simplicity here. Garlic is sometimes all you really need. Wonderful job, I will definitely be trying this :)
I have prepared quinoa so many different ways, but never with cheese. That’s changing the next time for sure. Thanks for sharing!