Chorizo & Quinoa

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Spanish style chorizo, sliced on the bias
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika


Directions:
In a large sauce pan, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, chorizo, and celery. Saute until fragrent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the quinoa. Cook 1 minute. Add the broth and smoked paprika. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover. Cook about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is translucent and has a small, visable spiral. Serve hot.

Yield: about 4 servings

My thoughts:

Quinoa has to be one of my favorite food words to say: KEEN WAH! But the excitement over the pronunciation is only part of the fun when it comes to quinoa. Quinoa, while frequently referred to as a grain and treated as such is technically not a grain at all but an edible seed. It was first cultivated by pre-Columbian Andean civilizations. It is gluten free, unusually high in protein and has a balanced set of essential amino acids which makes it a great substitute for couscous or rice. This also makes it a wonderful food choice for vegetarians or vegans who are looking for a good protein source. That said, I didn't take the vegetarian course this time and instead made a somewhat Spanish influenced one pot meal instead. It is super simple yet super tasty.