Quinoa Rocks!

September 16, 2009 · Filed Under Recipes 

Last night, I lead a Quinoa Rocks cooking class to a full house at New Leaf.  I love Quinoa for many reasons, but here are my top 5 reasons I believe that Quinoa does in fact, TOTALLY ROCK:

1.  Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a gluten-free grain (well, actually, botanically it is considered a seed, but nutritionally, it is more similar to a whole grain)

2.  Quinoa has 8 grams of protein per cup (most grains have 4 or 5 grams)

3.  The protein in Quinoa is a “complete” protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids

4.  Quinoa has 5 grams of fiber per cup!

5.  Quinoa cooks in just 15-20 minutes making it a great kitchen staple for quick meals.

Not sure what to do with it or stuck in a Quinoa Rut?  We made many delicious recipes last night, but my favorite Quinoa recipe is this salad….perfect for a snack or a complete lunch:

Red Quinoa Pumpkin Seed Salad

Serves 6

2 cups dry red quinoa, rinsed well

4 cups water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

4 scallions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

In a saucepan, boil water and add quinoa, lower heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.  Allow to cool.

In a bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, cilantro and scallions.  Pour over quinoa and stir in peppers, mixing thoroughly.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until service.  Right before serving, stir in pumpkin seeds.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Quinoa Rocks!”

  1. Ayala on September 17th, 2009 11:24 am

    This recipe did not have Quinoa, but still it rocked! I would like to send out kudos to Jennifer for her Tomato, Avocado, Corn salad. Not only did that dish have beautiful presentation (so many colors!), but it was so yummy that my husband and I had to Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who would get the last few bites. Thanks for sharing that one Jennifer!

  2. JenniferB on September 17th, 2009 1:00 pm

    Wow! Rock-Paper-Scissors for food?! Now, that must have been tasty. Thanks for writing Ayala!

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