Article & Recipe: Quinoa...your Passover loophole?

Going through grain withdrawal this passover?

Here is an interesting article about the historical basis of quinoa and how it may be a loophole to passover.

And here is one of my favorite side dishes for red quinoa:

Recipe: Red Quinoa with Swiss Chard & Toasted Chickpeas

• 1 c. red quinoa, gently rinsed
• 3 c. veggie stock
• 1 (16 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch of red swiss chard, ribs removed, chiffonade
• 2-3 T. evoo
• 1/4 c. combo of garlic, onions, bell peppers, brunoise (based on your preferences)
• 1 T. oregano, minced
• 1-2 t. sherry vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Fill a medium pot 3/4 with half water and half veggie stock, bring to boil and sprinkle with salt.
2. Bring another pot to a boil, filled 3/4 with water and generously sprinkled with salt.
3. Preheat oven to 400, when hot, place chickpeas in sided baking dish, spray with canola oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and place in oven to bake until toasted and crispy (about 30 minutes).
4. Add quinoa to 1st pot of veggie stock-boiling water, turn down to 'gently' boil until grain just begins to sprout, about 10-15 minutes. Strain grain from liquid and set aside.
5. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with 1 part ice and 3 parts water, set aside.
6. Add swiss chard to 2nd boiling water pot to blanch (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), strain from pot and dump into ice bath until swiss chard is cooled (about 30 seconds), strain from ice bath, gently squeeze excess liquid from swiss chard and set aside.
7. In a saute pan over medium high heat, add about 1 T. evoo until hot and almost smoking, then stir in garlic, onions, bell peppers and saute until translucent and golden brown on edges (about 1-2 minutes) then stir in swiss chard, tossing to coat, remove from heat and dump into large bowl.
8. Add cooked quinoa to large bowl, gently toss with 1-2 T. evoo, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Check out another one of our quinoa recipes here!