Brocolli Cheese Quinoa

Well...surprisingly is been 7 months since I last posted.  Its been a busy time in our household.  I was running low on recipes to post.  Now thanks to my lovely wife, and her obsession with trying exciting new dishes, I have a treasure trove of new recipes to post for your enjoyment.

Delicious, Healthy, Easy...you know that's what we like.  This recipe from Eat Well...Living Thin (http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com) is a semi regular dish.  Since starting this blog there is almost no such thing as regular!

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom), low-sodium if you prefer

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.