Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") may be tricky to say, but it is super simple to make & extremely versatile. This nutrient-dense seed masquerades as a whole grain, comes in a variety of colors (white, red, black), & is gluten-free. Quinoa packs a punch of 9 essential amino acids & has protein content similar to meat, plus a healthy dose of fiber & iron.
I love quinoa because I can cook up a batch in about 10 minutes & use it in a variety of ways. Much like rice, you cook up quinoa with a 2 parts liquid to 1 part dry ratio (i.e. 2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa), but quinoa is better than rice, in my humble opinion, because it doesn't get sticky or clumpy like rice can & it champions in nutritional value for sure!
You can prepare quinoa with just water, or you can use your favorite broth or stock as cooking liquid. Your quinoa will take on the flavors of whichever herbs & spices you add in, so the flavor possibilities are vast. White quinoa tends to cook up fluffier, while red & black quinoa tend to have a bit of a crunch & slightly nutty texture.
For the Quinoa Bowl pictured above I cooked 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water with the juice of 1/2 lemon & 2 Tbls. Cajun seasoning.
Once the quinoa had absorbed all the liquid (approx. 10 minutes) I added in some lean ground turkey that I had browned earlier in the week, a can of black beans (drained & rinsed), two large handfuls of fresh baby spinach, & 1/4 cup diced red onion.
I served this with a side of mixed veggies & my kiddos all cleaned their plates without a peep.
Other favorite quinoa add ins:
-diced bell peppers
-white beans
-cubed chicken breast
-cubed, oven baked sweet potatoes
-halved cherry tomatoes
No comments:
Post a Comment