Quinoa, we need to talk.
It’s not you, it’s me. I really need to focus on me right now. We’ll still be friends, right?
Well, I think quinoa is okay, right? They can go rebound with a jar of marinara sauce.
As you are reading this, I am probably sitting in car, making the long trek back home to reality. Boo. Since I wrote out a summer to-do list a few weeks ago, I can now cross a few off my list. I celebrated Half-Christmas with some friends (what- you enjoy waiting 12 months to celebrate holidays?), I have been reading like a madwoman (I literally have 8 books sitting on my desk waiting to be read), I have worn a few more dresses, and now I am returning back from a semi-spontaneous road trip (at least spontaneous for me). I also have taken to liberal parenthesis use but that wasn’t on my list.
My final summer check off is making quinoa. I have made it twice, and both times were much more successful than my first attempt. Now, this recipe has no quinoa in it. I just don’t know if I like quinoa that much. First, although it tastes better, I am not 100% I am cooking it completely correctly since I have never eaten it before. Second, it’s just blah- I haven’t tasted the nutttiness or chewiness I heard so much about.
So basically, I need someone to make me an amazing quinoa dish. Feeding it to me spoonful by spoonful is completely optional.
Until then, I will be sticking with grains I know how to cook and know I love. This couscous salad takes all the classic buffalo wing toppings and puts it in a nice combined dish. Now, I eat semi-vegetarian (AKA am too lazy and/or cheap to get meat most of the time), so I make buffalo cauliflower instead of chicken. And it was wonderful. But for people who actually have meat on hand, chicken would work wonderfully here.
If anyone makes this dish with quinoa, please send me pictures, so I can methodically compare how your quinoa looks to how mine looked.
Quinoa, you’re too good for me. I really like you as a person, I am just not in that place in my life yet.
(For the record, this is hard on me too).
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS SALAD
From Cinnamon Freud
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup dried couscous
1 1/2 cup vegetable/chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 ounces blue cheese
3 tablespoons buffalo sauce (to taste)
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, sliced
4 carrot, julienned
2-3 avocados, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Bring vegetable/chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, until broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup flour and a 1/4 cup milk. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in blue cheese, until melted. Keep warm.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Melt butter and add cauliflower (in batched if needed). Cook until browned on the outside and tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in buffalo sauce, red onion, and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in couscous. Transfer to a plates. Top salad with blue cheese sauce and avocados.
Serves 4.
cinnamon freud 