Best Quinoa Recipes

"Break out of your oatmeal rut and consider something new in that hot-cereal bowl: quinoa. Breakfast is actually my favorite meal for this teensy, protein-packed grain (which, technically, is not a grain at all but the seed of a plant in the amaranth family). Quinoa has a well-balanced amino acid profile and is especially rich in magnesium and iron. Make a fresh pot in the morning, or do it up as a side dish for dinner, relying on the leftovers to get you through breakfast. I like quinoa best doused with cold almond milk, roasted hazelnuts, and fall fruits. The reds and greens of apples, pears, and grapes make for a very pretty bowl."-Katie Sullivan Morford Recipe courtesy of Rise and Shine by Katie Sullivan Morford, © 2016 by Katie Sullivan Morford. Photographs  © 2016 by Erin Scott. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. www.roostbooks.com

This dish combines quinoa with the delicious flavor combination of sweet pears, tart pomegranate seeds, and peppery watercress.

This quinoa salad is the perfect healthy lunch or dinner side combining winter's bounty and the antioxidants and health benefits of the wild blueberry. Wyman's of Maine is one of the largest growers and processors of wild blueberries in the U.S. The growing season for wild blueberries is short, but Wyman's allows you to snack on these tasty, tart and sweet berries all year by quick freezing the berries within 24 hours of harvest. The berries are as fresh as the day they were picked, traveling from farm to freezer to table.  Recipe courtesy of Wyman's of Maine

Dried apricots sprinkle this quinoa pilaf with chewy, sweet fruit flavors which balance crunchy, toasted pumpkin seeds. Cilantro and lemon juice brighten this hearty, healthy grain salad. This recipe comes to us from Jen Brody of Domestic Divas.See all apricot recipes.

Summer green beans are here! Perhaps other beans, too, so substitute any of the three beans with what you can get on sale or from your garden... or the neighbors'. Canned garbanzos, pintos, or black beans are fine, too, in this beautiful and delicious summer salad that works as a side dish or protein-filled vegetarian entrée. Quinoa is a light, whole grain with plenty of protein itself; once you try it, you'll invite it back to your table again and again.