Cheesy Quinoa

For vegetarians, it can be tricky to get all of the protein you need every day. Especially if you have just committed to a vegetarian diet and are learning to cook all over again. Eating proteins with whole grains is important. Combinations like rice and dahl, or corn and beans, provide all of the amino acids necessary for a ‘whole protein’ which your body needs to survive. Quinoa is a seed (not a grain) that contains all of the amino acids necessary for a whole protein. So it’s very good to include in your diet.

On the other hand, it’s a small seed with a very mild, nutty flavor, and can be somewhat boring on its own. It’s easy to prepare, cooked almost exactly like you would cook rice, and quite versatile. So rather than serve it at home like I would serve rice, I had to make it a little fancy to convince my family to even try it at first.

As a general rule, I know my family will eat almost anything with cheese on it, so I came up with this cheesy quinoa recipe to get them interested. By now they’re used to the many ways I make quinoa, but this is still a family favorite. Like I said, cheese is always popular!