Quinoa "Mac and Cheese" with Spinach

When I first saw this recipe, I was pretty excited.  A healthy version of mac and cheese?  Sign me up!  I changed a couple of things, mainly because Sarah doesn't like goat cheese so I used different cheeses instead.  Overall, it just seemed a little bland to both of us.  It has potential, I'm just not quite sure what I need to add to make it go from ok to great.  I'm sure I'll try again though, maybe with some chipotle and/or more cheese.

Quinoa "Mac and Cheese" with Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup grated cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the quinoa, and cook until the quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Drain in a mesh strainer, and rinse until cold; set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in the sunflower seeds, and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the cooled quinoa and spinach; cook and stir until the quinoa is hot, and the spinach has wilted.
7. Stir in the lemon juice, and all but a pinch of the cheese.
8. Stir until the cheese has melted.
9. Serve right away, sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

Notes:
I used one part montery jack cheese and two parts sharp cheddar.  I also used roasted sunflower seeds because it was what we had around.  For the first few steps, make sure you have at least 4 cups of water in the pot.

Comments

[Leigh]

What about adding some scallions or onions or something??

[jkelber]

I think onions would be good in it too. It just felt like it was missing something basic and I'm not sure what.

[susie]

I made this tonight and it was great! I added some diced onion and used sharp cheddar cheese with just a bit of freshly grated parmesan. Loved it.....

[Belstaff Outlets]

I like ANMJ on FB & just subscribed to the email feed! :)