Easiest Quinoa and Salmon

As soon as I saw Evan’s “How To Make Quinoa in a Rice Cooker” I saved it in my inbox as a “Do ASAP” recipe. I love quinoa, in fact I prefer it over regular rice, and it’s such a versatile food that you can add anything to it to change the flavors.

I chopped sweet Walla Walla Onions and baby carrots to go into the quinoa. I’ve never used my rice cooker as a skillet to saute other foods and it was a great idea! It was an easy way to make a one-pot meal. Here’s the recipe:

How To Cook Quinoa In A Rice Cooker

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1/2 an onion, small diced
• 1 large carrot, small diced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups water or stock
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

Method:

1. “Sauté” the carrots and onion in the bottom of the rice cooker by cooking them in the oil on a high-heat setting until the onions are translucent.
2. Add in the quinoa, liquid, and seasoning if using. Close the lid on the rice cooker and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has boiled off. The quinoa will be ready when it has doubled in volume and a “tail” sprouts from the end.
3. Fluff the quinoa with a serving spoon and serve hot or let cool and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

My rice cooker didn’t get hot enough unless I closed the lid so I sprinkled olive oil on the bottom of the cooker and added the carrots and onions then closed the lid. I opened it every few minutes to stir it.

I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of water and then added the quinoa to the rice cooker. While the quinoa was cooking, I munched on a quick salad and prepared the fish to go into the oven. Timing fish is still something I’m working on.

For the fish I used an old favorite recipe: salmon with brown sugar glaze. It’s so easy to make and I always have all the ingredients on hand. All it is is brown sugar and dijon mustard. Mix to your liking. I season the fish with a little salt and pepper before adding the glaze.

I wrapped the salmon loosely in foil and baked them at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. The quinoa wasn’t quite ready yet so I took the fish out but left it in the foil to stay warm (and it worked). See what I mean about the timing?

The verdict: the quinoa was delicious. The onions and carrots had cooked down and were mild in flavor but they added some depth to the quinoa. I liked it a lot and started thinking about other things I could add to it.

The salmon with the glaze went nicely with it too. I think peas or maybe broccoli florets would be a nice addition to the quinoa for next time and it would add a little color to it.

This meal was super easy and from start to finish took about 35 minutes. Once both the fish and quinoa were cooking I cleaned up some of the dishes while I waited. I really liked this dinner.

I took the leftover quinoa to work for lunch and added some chickpeas to it. It was a great leftover, too. This is the third recipe of Evan’s I’ve tried that’s been a winner. Yum!

QUESTION: Have you tried cooking quinoa like this? What would you add to it?