12 delicious ways to eat Quinoa

"It's a kween-o!" Thank you, Bud-light commercial for your hilarious take on quinoa.

But sorry, you're wrong. It doesn't taste like a loofah or a dirty tree branch. It tastes amazing!!

And so my love affair with quinoa continues. And I want everyone to know what to do with this crazy little gluten-free grain so all can love it just as much. Pronounced keen-wah, not kween-o, the taste is not nearly as weird as the sound. It's downright yummy and surprisingly, super versatile. Not to mention it ranks as the king of protein among all the grains in the land (even though it's technically a seed....) Quinoa has a distinct nutty flavor and a texture that caters to picking up any sweetness or spice that is added to it; a perfect canvas for the kitchen beginner to the expert chef. Here are some great recipes from around the web, plus one of my own--Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash-- to help you get acquainted with the grain, or seed, of all grain/seeds.

1. Make it -- from The Kitchn, How to cook fluffy, tasty quinoa.
2. Bake it -- from The Healthy Apple, Quinoa Spinach Bake
3. Health it -- from Gluten-free Goddess, Quinoa Taco Salad
4. Cake it -- from Making Thyme for Health, "Best-ever chocolate quinoa cake"
5. Crunch it -- from Giada de Laurentiis, Quinoa and herb crusted lamb
6. Shake it -- from YumUniverse, Gluten-free Quinoa shake
7. Stuff it -- see my Spanish Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash recipe below.
8. Mix it -- from Bon appetit, Cumin scented quinoa and black rice
9. Sweet it -- from Coffee & Quinoa, Vanilla cardamom quinoa pudding
10. Spice it -- from Family Fresh Cooking, Spicy sriracha chicken and quinoa bowl
11. Wrap it -- from Queen of Quinoa, Veggie wraps with quinoa
12. Roll it -- from Wholesome Cook, Quinoa sushi rolls

Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

 Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Yields: 2 large servings, (plus leftover Spanish quinoa).

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 1 and 1/2 cup water
• 1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1 uncooked acorn squash, cut in half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• goat cheese for topping
• optional: dash of cayenne pepper for added spice

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the two halves of cleaned (seeds removed) acorn squash upside down in a large baking dish and add about 1/2 inch of hot water to make a water bath. This helps it to cook evenly.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast the squash in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until insides are soft to the prick of a fork. Remove from oven and let rest.
4. In the meantime, add dry quinoa, water, diced tomatoes and juice from the can, all spices and salt/pepper to a saucepan. 
5. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and all liquid has been absorbed. (this is the Spanish quinoa). Add the black beans and red onion and mix well.
6. Add the Spanish quinoa by the spoonful into the cooked acorn squash "bowl" for a yummy presentation. Top with chopped spinach and goat cheese to taste. Enjoy warm!