Cheesy Quinoa

For Christmas, my awesome older sister (the "German Sister" as we call her, since she lives abroad and is married to German citizen) came to visit. She brought me an assortment of grains - polenta, amaranth, quinoa, and another one with a German name, which I think is something like millet.

I've started experimenting with them, but as James is very hesitant even about rice, I have to be strategic.

I've never eaten quinoa (keen-wah, not kwin-no-uh as I previously called it), but I decided to throw caution to the wind and make up a recipe as I went along. I wasn't being super risky, because basically I decided to make macaroni and cheese with quinoa instead of noodles. I don't claim this recipe to be part of a 2009 extreme body makeover weight watcher diet. But it does have more fiber and protein than velveeta shells and cheese, and James ATE IT. He actually asked me what it was, said he loved it, and got a second helping.

So you see the strategy? When I introduced him to fish, I started with potato chip crusted fish, then to a cheesy parmesan tilapia, then finally to seasoned grilled salmon. If I had tried the salmon first he never would have tasted it. And now he loves it and requests it. So I started him on a cheesy gooey buttery grain dish. We'll evolve from there. I served this with sauteed chicken tenders and green beans.

About the Cheese Sauce:

Mac and Cheese is something I struggled with for a long time with. For whatever reason, I was very roux challenged. I have to credit this article from the nest with saving me from my grainy mac and cheese days. I still use lowfat milk with no trouble, but letting the bechamel cool before adding cheese, and using a mixture of cheeses (I like gruyere - not great flavor in my opinion, but melts beautifully- and sharp cheddar - not a great melter, but so much flavor!), and heating the milk before adding has made me a Mornay sauce queen!

Cheesy Quinoa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup milk

3 oz gruyere, shredded

3 oz cheddar, shredded

cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa a few times to wash away any residue from the bitter outer layer. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and let it simmer, covered, for about 10-15 minutes until it is fluffy and the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, make your sauce.

2.Heat your milk in either a saucepan or the microwave. You want it warmed up, but not boiling.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan (You're going to have to whisk up a storm, so it needs to have high sides if you're a mess like me!)over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook and whisk the roux until it darkens slightly (takes 5 minutes or more) from a buttery yellow to a caramel tan. The roux needs to cook slightly to cook out some of that raw flour flavor.

4. Add the milk slowly, whisking as you go to distribute the fat throughout the liquid. Bring to a boil and cook and whisk until it thickens. Turn off the heat, and let it sit for a minute or two, stirring a few times.

5. Add the gruyere and stir until it melts in. Then add the cheddar. It should melt, but if some of it doesn't, it will melt when added to the hot quinoa. Stir in a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

6. Stir the sauce into the quinoa, and taste. I added a little salt and pepper at this point, but taste yours first, because the salt levels in cheeses and chicken broth vary, and you don't want to overdo it.

This recipe made probably 4 large side dish portions.