A nutty, fluffy quinoa pilaf that is easily adaptable to any meal! Just add any of your favorite herbs or veggies for a tasty, nutritious side dish.
Toasted Quinoa Pilaf
1 cup quinoa rinsed and dried
½ cup minced yellow pepper (or any preferred pepper)
½ cup minced onion
½ cup minced celery stalk + leafy tops
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp sage
2 cups vegetable broth
Rinse and strain in a siv or fine strainer to remove any dust or debris. Heat oil on medium-high and sauté vegetables unitl soft and quinoa until it is golden brown and smells nutty, about 15 minutes. Some popping is to be expected. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve.
Quinoa Stuffed Pork Chops With Rosemary Beurre Blanc Sauce
2 butterfly cut pork chops
Mrs. Dash or other all purpose seasoning
1 tbsp all purpose flour
leftover quinoa pilaf
1-3 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 and olive oil in saute pan on stove at medium high. Sprinkle chops with seasoning and salt, then stuff pork chops with just the right amount of leftover quinoa pilaf for the size of the chops.
Fold chops and tie each one with butcher's twine. I am not trained in this either so just wing it! Something like this:
Dust lightly with flour and sear in preheated pan with oil at medium-high heat on both sides.
Rosemary Beurre Blanc Sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 long sprig rosemary
1/2 stick butter
1 garlic clove sliced
salt/pepper to taste
In remaining oil from pork chops add garlic, deglaze pan with the wine, scraping up the yummy bits left from the pork chops. Add vegetable broth and the intact rosemary sprig. Reduce until it thickens a bit and the sauce is infused with rosemary. Strain the garlic and rosemary from the sauce and return to the pan. Add butter and melt into the sauce. Add salt and pepper as needed.
