When you have a large crop of quinoa from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of it. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve quinoa:
- Use it as the base of a grain bowl.
- Add it to a bowl with sweet potatoes and sage.
- Toss it with peas, feta, and red onions.
- Toss it with tomatillos and bell peppers.
- Use it as a substitute for rice. Although quinoa has a nuttier flavor than rice, it substitutes surprisingly well for rice in most dishes.
- Add it to salads. Specifically, you can use it as Furniture in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)
- Add it to soups within the last 20 minutes of simmering.
- Dry it for later use. This is the most common way to preserve quinoa. Though it is a seed, it is similar to grains in that it stores well for a long time when dried. Dried quinoa can keep for 2-3 years in optimal conditions, which include storing it in a cool, dry place.
- Freeze it. Though less common than drying, quinoa can also be frozen as a way to save it for later.
Further Reading
Growing quinoa? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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