Okay…how many times have I mentioned or asked if you have heard of quinoa and all I get are deer in the headlights looks??? Well mainly from my family…haha, love you…but actually quite a few people. One guy actually thought I was telling them to start eating ewok! Do you know what an ewok is??? I was laughing so hard. So I thought I would share a picture of one: 
So realizing that quinoa is quite foreign to you, I just had to blog about it and give you the lowdown on quinoa:
Quinoa was once a major staple food throughout the Andes region. The Incas regarded it as sacred and referred to it as “the mother seed” or “the mother grain.” Quinoa contains more protein (up to 20 percent) than most grains and is closer to the “ideal” complete protein than any other grain. It is rich in lysine and methionine, two essential amino acids that are not typically found in grains. As a result, quinoa can be combined with other grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes to create a complete protein.
This highly nutritious food has a sweet, nutty flavor and also contains magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorous, some B vitamins, vitamin E, and calcium. Remember…we eat to nourish and this is very nourishing! It can be cooked like a rice, added to soups and stews, or ground into flour.
So…are you wanting to eat it yet??? You can just make it like you would rice and put it as a side dish or add vegetables, herbs, tofu, chicken, or whatever you want and eat it all together! Yum, yum, yum. Here is a recipe for you!
Eat to nourish~
Julie
Quinoa Salad
This is a very tasty and fun salad to make. It’s high in protein and you can add any herbs or vegetables you want. Have fun with it!
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons zante currants
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons golden balsamic vinegar
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Bring the quinoa, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed, 15 minutes. Once done, put into a large bowl, and allow to cool. Stir in the green onions, celery, currants, thyme, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir in the cilantro before serving.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Copyright 2010, J. Knudson, Original recipe
