Quinoa

As these patties cook, the mozzarella cheese browns and creates a deliciously crisp crust. Prepare the sauce while the patties chill and let it stand at room temperature so the flavors blend.

Quinoa, an excellent source of protein that counts toward your whole-grain goal, is the base for this citrusy side. Be sure to use fresh mint leaves—dried mint won’t provide the flavor boost you want for this dish.

This salad gets its flavor from cumin, jalapeño, lime juice—and, surprisingly, a touch of honey.

My wife, Marja, counts this simple dish as one of her favorites. The meaty mushrooms are great with the nutty grains and creamy cheese.

Here’s a nearly standard tabouleh recipe with a couple of interesting twists. Quinoa makes it fluffier and lighter than the traditional bulgur (not to mention even more nutritious), and pine nuts give it a rich flavor.

Like the previous recipe, the combination of grains and beans in this salad makes it an ideal centerpiece for a meal.

What’s not to love about quinoa? It’s a powerhouse of nutrients, it cooks in fifteen minutes, and its pleasantly offbeat flavor is most appealing. I try to use it often, and this quick preparation is the one I turn to the most. If you have time, use lightly cooked fresh corn kernels (from three medium ears) instead of frozen.

If I had to choose a favorite quinoa dish, it would be this one. With just a few ingredients, it manages to showcase sweet, savory, and nutty flavors all at once.

Earthy and hearty, this kind of grain and mushroom dish appeals to me most in the fall, though it can be served any time of year.

An appetizing, mildly spiced mélange of nourishing beans, grains, and greens, this makes a stellar centerpiece for a soup-based meal. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, making this practically a meal in a bowl.

Quinoa (keen-wah), though not a cereal grain because it is not a grass plant, is nonetheless a life-sustaining grain native to the Andes Mountains in what is now Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. Although it was a staple food of the Inca, who peopled those high places, somewhere along the way it got shuffled aside for wheat and rice, grain imports from the Old World, and for corn, the New World’s other great grain. There it remained, in the shadows of time, until recently, when health aficionados rediscovered its food value and deliciousness. Quinoa’s nutrition is unique among the grains of the world. Within each tiny, almost miniscule bit of it, there is complete protein. When cooked, the grains puff up four times their size into a pillowy mass that resembles the cells in a beehive, with each compartment distinct. That means quinoa serves up not only plenty of nutrition but also enough bulk to make a filling meal. Together with tofu, their nutrition pedigree becomes double blue ribbon.

Even if you think you hate tofu, or if you’ve never cooked quinoa, do try this salad. Together, the quinoa and tofu offer a variety of chewy textures, which get a refreshing lift of flavor from ginger, rice vinegar, and daikon radish. It’s also a favorite among the staff at the Market; the wallop of protein offers steady fuel for working a hectic shift!

Brian does most of the cooking at home for his wife, Kristina, and their two small children, but this salad is one of Kristina’s specialties. She adapts it to the season, but quinoa is always the starting point. Nutty and quick cooking, quinoa is high in protein and will hold up for about an hour after it’s dressed. Serve this refreshing winter salad with pork, chicken, or fish, or with feta for a meatless meal.

GOOD TO KNOW Quinoa—a nutritional powerhouse that’s also an excellent source of protein—stars in this vegetarian main; chopped walnuts complement quinoa’s nutty taste. Choose short, squat bell peppers that will stand upright easily.

Quinoa adds protein as well as a chewy texture to this meatless main dish. The heat of the cooked quinoa and mushrooms helps wilt the spinach; the dressing and feta pull this warm salad together.

I had never tried quinoa before testing this recipe, and my verdict is that the grain with the funny name is good. The combination of vegetables and quinoa is so delicious that I would be happy with a big bowl of just that. This is even better though, because stuffing it into the onion makes an awesome and impressive dish.

Quin-what?! Okay, so maybe you haven’t ever heard of quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wa”), but this “wonder grain” (actually a seed) is deliciously nutty and chewy and exceptionally nutritious. This salad makes a great meal, and you can take any leftovers for lunch. What I like the best is that it’s a nice alternative to the standard pasta salad.

I met chef Kevin Stewart and his partner, Richard Cordray, at my friend Loncito Cartwright’s South Texas ranch. Kevin prepared this dish using Loncito’s grass-fed lamb and I asked for the recipe, named after Kevin and Richard’s former Marfa restaurant, Blue Javalina. Wild packs of javalinas—compact, coarse-haired, piglike animals with short snouts—roam the high plains of West Texas. Javalinas do not come in blue, nor do they make for great eating. Loncito’s lamb is a different story. His grass-fed lamb has a mild taste that appeals to even the most reluctant lamb eater. It is available at select farmers’ markets and specialty foods stores throughout Texas.

Quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wa”) is its own little ecosystem, containing all of the essential amino acids that we must obtain through the diet. Put another way, quinoa brings some good nutrients to the table that the body needs to begin repairing itself. Its mild taste makes it a perfect starting point for building a pilaf, which is a Middle Eastern food fest. Pilafs are by definition seasoned dishes, and in this case all of the aromatics have great anticancer properties. About the only thing missing from this exotic, exciting dish is a belly dancer. If only I hadn’t misplaced those tiny finger cymbals …