So yesterday I decided to try something different for meal prep – using both quinoa and brown rice together. Honestly, I kinda just looked in my pantry, saw some leftover brown rice from taco night and a half-empty bag of quinoa that’s been sitting there since god knows when, and figured, why not? Worst case, the chickens get a fancy treat.
Getting Started & Messy Prep
First thing I did was grab my pot – my go-to heavy-bottomed one. Poured in two cups of water and cranked my stove to high. While that was heating up, I dug out one cup of brown rice. Then I found the quinoa bag behind the oats. Measured out one cup of quinoa too. Tip: rinse that quinoa like you mean it! Seriously, it’s got this soapy film that tastes horrible otherwise. Ran it under the cold tap in my mesh strainer until the water ran clear, not cloudy.
Alright, water started boiling – big bubbles! Dumped the brown rice right in. You know brown rice takes forever, so got to start it first. Lowered the heat to a gentle simmer, slapped a lid on, and set the timer for 25 minutes. Easy part done.
Adding Stuff & Crossing Fingers
After those 25 minutes were up, I lifted the lid. Rice was looking kinda tough still, but getting there. Now I stirred in the rinsed quinoa. Poured in another cup of water, because that dry quinoa sucks up liquid like a sponge. Poured in a glug of olive oil – maybe two tablespoons? Honestly, I just eyeballed it. Figured it adds flavor and maybe stops clumping. Seasoning time: shook in a good teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, maybe half a teaspoon of turmeric for color, and a big pinch of salt.
Gave it all a good stir, put the lid back on tight, and reduced the heat to super low. Set the timer for 20 more minutes. Started chopping veggies while I waited. Went with classic stuff I had: chopped a red bell pepper pretty small, grated two carrots, and diced half a red onion. Also grabbed a can of chickpeas from the cabinet, rinsed them off, and set everything aside.
The Waiting Game (And The Boil-Over)
About 10 minutes in, smelled something… burnt? Lifted the lid carefully. Uh oh. Water was almost gone, but not completely. Rice and quinoa were looking kinda stuck to the bottom already. Freaked out a little. Added like half a cup of hot water real quick, stirred furiously to scrape the bottom clean again. Put the lid back on. Lesson learned: maybe my “low” heat is still too hot for this thing.
When the timer finally buzzed, I turned the stove off but left the lid on. Just let it sit like that for 10 whole minutes. Was hoping the trapped steam would finish cooking it without more water and loosen anything clinging on.
The Big Reveal (And Taste Test)
Lifted the lid… steamy! Used a fork to fluff it all up. Texture seemed… okay? Brown rice was a bit firmer than I like, quinoa was maybe a tad mushy in places, but overall, it held together. Didn’t burn the bottom after my quick water rescue! Big win. Mixed in all my chopped veggies and the chickpeas while it was still warm. Drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice, more salt and pepper to taste – basically fixed it on the fly.
End result? It’s not restaurant quality, but it tastes pretty dang good! The quinoa gives it a different texture, kinda nutty, mixed with the chew of the brown rice. Makes a huge amount! Packed up containers for lunches. Next time? Probably use slightly less water overall and check it more often. And maybe throw in some chopped herbs at the end. But hey, chickens missed out on this batch!
