Thai Fried Quinoa

I love cooking with quinoa, and one of my favorite recipes is my old standby, quinoa fried rice, which is basically fried rice with quinoa instead of rice.  It has onions and peas and carrots and scrambled egg, and is flavored with ginger, soy and teriyaki sauces,  and sesame oil.  Amazing, right?  But I am always on the lookout for new quinoa dishes, with a particular penchant for quinoa fried rice.  I had tried two different recipes up till this point, but when I found this recipe, I knew I had to make it.  This is fried quinoa but with a Thai twist, including peanuts and pineapple!

Some of the components of this recipe are the same as my favorite one, including peas, scrambled egg and ginger.  But otherwise, this one has a totally different vibe.  The quinoa is cooked in both chicken broth and coconut milk to give it a coconutty taste, and like I said, the pineapple bits are a unique and pretty delicious addition.  There's also cilantro and scallions to spice things up.  The sauce is made by combining lime juice and soy sauce.  I think I would double the sauce next time I try this out, because it was super tasty but kind of got lost in all that quinoa-y goodness.  And don't skip the chopped peanuts - they give such a great crunch to the dish!

Recipe:

Thai fried quinoa
from Iowa Girl Eats
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon microplaned or minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup frozen peas
1 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 eggs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions:

1) Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan over high heat.  Add coconut milk and chicken broth, then bring to a boil.  Once boiling, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 minute, stirring constantly so as not to burn the garlic.

3) Add peas, pineapple tidbits, and cilantro, and cook for 1 additional minute.

4) Push the ingredients to the sides of the wok to create a clear space in the center.  Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl, then pour into the wok.  Stir with a spatula until the eggs are scrambled, then stir to combine with the rest of the ingredients.

5) Add the cooked quinoa, soy sauce, and lime juice to the wok, and stir to combine.  Cook for an additional minute or two, until the quinoa begins to crisp up.  Steve with chopped peanuts on top.