Thursday, April 28, 2011

Have You Met Quinoa?


Quinoa could be considered a super food from everything I've been reading! I'm sure you've heard by now about all of the benefits of this seed. Yep, it's a seed that is most often typecast as a grain for it's tender fluffy texture once cooked. It's actually a seed from a plant that is related to spinach, beets, and chard! Everything you've heard seems to be true. It has a ton of health benefits. It's a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids, it's easy to digest, and is chock full of vitamins and minerals. One of my favorite things about this "whole grain" is that it is a good source of magnesium, a mineral I find that is often overlooked and forgotten. I've been upping my dietary intake of magnesium to combat my migraine headaches.

I'm thrilled that this ancient nutrient is becoming a more mainstream health food. Thus, it is becoming ever easier to find tasty recipes for it. I suppose it is an acquired taste, but well worth the effort. My kiddos weren't thrilled with the recipe, although they did eat it. I have committed to cooking it at least once a week. I was re-inspired to pull this couscous look alike out of the pantry from a new book I bought today. I browsed the pages at Barnes and Noble today and came home and bought it on my Nook. Yay, one less cookbook in my cabinet! It's called Pretty Delicious by Candice Kumai. I made her Quinoa Pilaf that is a mixture of  quinoa, toasted almonds, dried fruit, and basil, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Although it was served hot at dinner, I suspect it will be just as tasty served cold. I LOVED it, the kids don't really like nuts or dried fruit so their distaste was to be expected.

There are so many options and advantages, I urge you to Google more about it. I Googled "benefits of quinoa." I'm sure "quinoa recipes" would also garner great results. It's not only healthy, but it's quick to make, taking only about 15 minutes. Remember to rinse it thoroughly before cooking and enjoy it hot or cold, in cereal, or even in the form of ground flour, sprouts, or pasta.

I'm eager to try new quinoa recipes, so feel free to leave a link
in the comments section if you have one to share.
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5 comments:

Megan said...

I'm glad you posted this because I have seen several recipes lately and had no idea what it was!

Alida Sharp said...

I have some quinoa in my pantry but haven't done anything with it yet. Pilaf sounds easy and yummy! Thanks!

Sarah said...

That looks DELICIOUS - I already bookmarked it! My roommates and I are always looking for new recipes and we all agree that THIS is going to be the next thing we make for dinner next week! Thanks so much for sharing! It looks soooo good!

Branson said...

Quinoa and I have become good friends. A really likes it as well, because if you cook it a little extra it makes a much nicer baby food texture than brown rice. There is a super yummy quinoa recipe in the vegetarian recipe booklet (currently available to fans on my FB page only, but I will get it out other ways soon!)

Branson said...

Posted that recipe for you today! :)