A veggie- & protein-packed Quinoa Fried Rice from Keys to the Kitchen by Aida Mollenkamp! A healthy, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner. Gluten free.
Time to get excited – I have another giveaway!
Aida Mollenkamp’s new book, Keys to the Kitchen, is a new food bible. I planned to post this yesterday, but the book has so much that summing it up in a post is a nearly impossible task. In fact, it took me about 20 minutes to explain why I love this book to Jack (and I talk fast, so you don’t want to know how long a post that would be). Simply put, the book is beautiful, informative, helpful, and will make anyone, at any skill level, a better cook for having the tools it provides at their disposal. If you cook at home, you want this book.
One of my favorite things about the book is how each recipe has a “takeaway” and some suggested “riffs.” Aida takes you through the basics of a recipe and then shows you how to get creative… which is the part of cooking that I love the most. I was immediately drawn to the quinoa fried rice – I always have some quinoa in the fridge, Jack will never say no to having “eggs” and “fried” in his dinner, and fried rice is one of the most “riffable” dishes you can make. This turned out delicious, and I’m sure I’ll be riffing on this one pretty often.
this giveaway is now closed, a winner has been notified.
special thanks to Chronicle Books for hosting this giveaway.
Mushroom & Edamame Quinoa Fried “Rice”
- ½ tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed & sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- A few handfuls chopped kale
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa
- ½ cup frozen edamame
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil or cilantro
- 2 (or 3) large eggs, beaten
- 3-4 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
- Sriracha or red pepper flakes
- Sliced almonds & sesame seeds
- Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- Seared tofu or other protein (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and green onions and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and ginger, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the kale, quinoa, edamame, and basil, toss to coat with oil and heat through. Cook until the grain is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture, exposing the pan bottom. Put the egg and soy sauce in the well and stir until just cooked through. Break up the egg mixture and stir into the grain-vegetable mixture, stir-frying until the edges are golden, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with sriracha or red pepper flakes and additional soy sauce.
- Top with sliced almonds, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil & serve.
I made this GF with GF soy sauce + toasted sesame oil. I added an extra egg, extra cilantro, and finished it with extra soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds + lots of sriracha. this didn’t last over a day here (meaning I ate all of it!) I can’t wait to do different variations and to add some greens next time!
Replace part of neutral cooking oils in baking with a nut oil. So if you are making carrot cake use part walnut oil. It adds an extra dimension to the finished baked goods flavor.
My favorite kitchen tip is to cook with love and music. Put on what makes you move. Dance. Sing. Enjoy the process of preparing tasty healthy food with love. All you need is love…..along with good food of course.
My Italian Mom had to work when we were little and her short cut to Sunday Gravy was to mash garlic instead of chopping it and cut an onion in half & just put in the pot w/the sauce and toss after.
One of my favorite kitchen tips is to use the correct knife depending on what you’re cutting (instead of just what’s clean.. as I’ve been guilty of many times). Serrated knives tend to work much better for breads, tomatoes, etc. Non-serrated work better for chopping garlic and a lot of other veggies.
My favorite tip is think outside of the box! You don’t have to follow a recipe verbatim, it is just a guideline. Plus with more experimenting, you will learn new and exiting flavor combinations. Use what you have and take your time, enjoy the time in the kitchen. 🙂
A little baking tip: After letting butter come to room temperature, use the wrapper to butter your pan.
always cook with fresh spices!
When I have bananas that are starting to look a little too ripe, I peel them and toss them in the freezer. Once frozen, they have a more pronounced flavor and fantastic creaminess that’s perfect for smoothies and banana soft serve.
have wanted this cookbook the minute i heard the title….. my tip…. hmmmm… cook with love and have fun 🙂
When making brown rice, make double or triple the amount you need, then freeze the extra flat in ziplocks. Give a quick thaw under some running water then microwave, for rice in under 5 minutes on a busy night.
One of my kitchen tips is to brighten up a meal/recipe by adding something acidic, like lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, etc… Creates such a great balance if you have a real savory recipe.
After making guacamole press the pit (seed) into the guacamole. This will help keep it from turning brown.
This look so yummy!
My tip is how to remove the pit from an avocado – slice it half lengthwise and pull apart, then (carefully) tap the seed with a sharp knife so that the knife wedges into the pit, then twist the knife and the seed will pop right out! Probably smart to hold the avo half with a dishcloth for extra safety.
My best kitchen tip, which I gave to each of my 3 children, is keep your area clean and clean up as you go.
kitchen tip for fresh baked cookies: I always make a huge batch of dough and then freeze little dough balls, that way I can bake just a few at a time and have them fresh hot exactly when I want!
One of my favorite kitchen tips is to remember SALT (just a little) when baking. If forgotten, nothing will brown up as nicely as it is supposed to.
When a dish needs a little more zing, squeeze some lemon juice atop. Works like a charm! : )
I’m not even sure if this qualifies as a tip, but I think it’s one of the most important things to learn when you’re learning how to cook–TASTE EVERYTHING. Not just at the end to make sure it tastes good, but all throughout the process so that you actually learn the various stages of cooking. For example, if you’re cooking a pot of beans, taste several after an hour, then again in ten minutes, then again in ten minutes, on and on, until they’re done. I learned this great advice from Tamar Adler’s “An Everlasting Meal.” I’d recommend reading that for a trillion more tips!
I love this recipe!! Going to try it this weekend.
I would love to be entered into the contest – my favorite tip is one I just learned from your blog – freeze ginger and grate as you need fresh ginger.
Thanks!