Quinoa w/ Jalapeños, Shallots, & Ginger
This Ginger Quinoa recipe consists of jalapeños, shallots, tamari, apple cider vinegar, and freshly minced ginger. I ordinarily use rice vinegar in my quinoa dishes. Although I knew that I was going to pair this with ahi tuna steaks and salmon over the next couple of meals. So, I went with apple cider vinegar in this variation. Although you can mix and match whatever vinegar works best with your particular flavor profile and food pairings.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 jalapeños
- 1 tbsp. ginger minced
- 1/2 shallot minced
- 1/8 c. tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1/8 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ c. quinoa
- 3 c. water
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger produce and then add the smaller ingredients. Top with the spices. And then add the quinoa and water.This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
- Press the cook button on the rice cooker. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.
- When the quinoa is fully cooked, let sit for 10 minutes. Then, fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes. Alternatively you can simmer on the stove. Add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring uncovered to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are tender. Turn off heat, add lid, and let sit another 5-10 minutes.
- You can also easily substitute other vegetables or types of quinoa. For this recipe I used whatever I had ripening in my garden with royal quinoa. Royal quinoa is primarily cultivated in Bolivia and tends to have larger grains and a fluffier texture. I tend not to notice much of a difference between typical white quinoa and royal quinoa. But it’s always fun to explore! Red quinoa has a more prominent and nuttier flavor and tri-colored is largely the in-between variety.
- Any quinoa, or even other grain or legume, like lentils or rice, would substitute in this recipe without changing the ratio.