Quinoa

Quinoa is not a grain; it is a seed, a relative of beets, spinach, and Swiss chard. Because it is not a grass or grain, quinoa is considered the perfect food for those with grain, like wheat, sensitivities. The awareness of gluten-free diets may have likely brought quinoa into the limelight. However, quinoa is proving to fit into many diets for a wide range of reasons. Let’s take a look at a few benefits that quinoa offers us all:

Protein: Not all foods considered high in protein contain all the essential amino acids in proper proportions for maximum effectiveness in the body, but quinoa does. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all essential amino acids in perfect proportions. In fact, quinoa has the same protein quality as milk. For a vegan, or a vegetarian who doesn’t drink milk, quinoa is the perfect replacement food. Mix in some black beans in a simple soup or casserole, and you have the ultimate protein-rich super-food.

Minerals: The most concentrated amounts of minerals in quinoa are manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. With just one serving of quinoa, you will have more than half the RDA of manganese alone, neutralizing those damaging free radicals that are constantly attacking our organs. Along with manganese, quinoa contains high concentrates of magnesium and phosphorous which are both essential minerals aiding in bone health, heart and cardiovascular health, as well as nerve and brain health. Quinoa completes the mineral wheel with ample supplies of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium, all vital to our health and well-being.

Vitamins: The highest concentrated vitamin in quinoa is folate. Folate is a B vitamin that is essential for healthy red blood cell development as well as healthy tissue and organ development, most notably during a child’s early years. Folate is also believed to fight the destructive cell developments of cancer. Other vitamins that can be found in a good supply in quinoa are vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6, all essential in the growth, repair, and functioning of vital organs, blood, and tissue.

Dietary Fiber: You probably hear a lot about dietary fiber in advertisements aimed at curing constipation. But, the fact is, dietary fiber is crucial for all of our body functions. With a whopping 21% RDA in one serving of quinoa, eating a regular diet including this super-food makes sense. Why? Not only does fiber aid the digestive system, it also is known to lower blood cholesterol levels. Studies also show that increasing fiber in your diet will help reduce blood pressure which promotes heart health. A good diet rich in fiber helps control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugars. Along with these benefits, high-fiber diets also may help with weight loss, due to the fact that foods that are high in fiber and low in calories, like quinoa, fill you up without added calories.

Compare these nutrition facts:

Quinoa cooked 1 cup:
Calories from Fat 32; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 13mg; Carbs 39g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Protein 8g; Folate 77mcg

Dried Black Beans cooked 1 cup:
Calories from Fat 8; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbs 41g; Dietary Fiber 15g; Protein 15g; Folate 256mcg

Chicken Breast cooked 1 cup:
Calories from Fat 45; Cholesterol 119mg; Sodium 104mg; Carbs 0g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Protein 43g; Folate 6mcg

Turkey Meatloaf With Quinoa

Give this simple turkey meatloaf with quinoa a try. It is absolutely delicious and much better for you than a traditional meatloaf. The quinoa gives it some great texture and greatly improves the turkey. Tastes just like regular meatloaf to me.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup quinoa, dry
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large egg
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the dry quinoa in 2/3 of a cup of water according to your package directions (or read this about how to prepare quinoa). If you already have some cooked up, use 1 cup of prepared quinoa in this recipe.

Chop up your onion. Put the ground turkey, the chopped onion, the tomato sauce, egg, olive oil and cooked quinoa into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and mix everything really well. Form the mixture into a loaf, put it on a baking pan and bake it for 50 minutes to an hour at 400F.

Quinoa Corn Chowder Recipe

Quinoa tastes great in soups and this simple corn chowder recipe is one of our favorites. The quinoa makes it a more filling and satisfying meal. Plus the nutty flavor of this grain nicely balances the sweetness of the corn. I make it with frozen corn, but you could also use fresh or even canned corn. If you use canned corn, be sure to rinse it well since most canned vegetables have a lot of extra salt in them. Since the canned corn is also fully cooked, you need to add it to the soup a little late.

Here’s the recipe:

Quinoa Corn Chowder

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups plain soymilk
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons cilantro, torn into small pieces
salt and pepper

Get out a medium sized pot and cook the onion in the oil until it is translucent. Add the corn and diced potato and saute everything for a minute or two. Add the vegetable broth and soy milk and bring everything to a boil. Add the quinoa and cumin. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer to soup for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa and potatoes are tender.

Add the cillantro, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Black Bean And Tomato Quinoa Salad

This is a simple but delicious salad made from quinoa, black beans and tomatoes.

1 cup quinoa
dash of salt

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1 can of black beans
2 to 3 tomatoes
1 onion
Fresh Herbs (optional – I like using cilantro)

Rinse the quinoa, then cook in a medium pot with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. (If you need more detailed instructions, read How To Prepare Quinoa ). Cook the quinoa covered for about 10 minutes or so or until all the water is absorbed and the grain is tender. Allow it to cool.

Make the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and spices.

Cut the tomatoes into chunks and add them to the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Chop the onion finely and add it as well. If you happen to have a bell pepper or some celery that needs to be used up, feel free to chop it and throw it in as well.

Open the can of black beans and pour the beans into a strainer. Rinse them with plenty of water. Give the excess liquid a minute to drain off completely, then pour the black beans into your salad bowl.

Add the quinoa and fresh herbs and gently toss it until everything is mixed well. Serve at room temperature, or chill in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Quinoa Muffins

Here’s a recipe for some simple and rather plain quinoa muffins. I am including some suggestions to add variety to the recipe at the end. They are quite hardy and delicious not to forget healthy. Bake up a batch and enjoy quinoa muffins for breakfast or as a simple snack.
Quinoa Muffins

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook the quinoa in a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. You will end up with 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Set it aside to cool.

In the meantime combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the quinoa and stir until you have it worked into the flour mixture.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a cup or small bowl, then pour them into the flour / quinoa mixture. Stir it just until everything is combined.

Spray a regular sized 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Scoop the batter into the tins. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes.

Quinoa Muffin Variations

Here are a couple of “add-on” ideas for these rather plain quinoa muffins. Incorporate those ingredients with the quinoa into the flour mixture, then proceed as mentioned above.

1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of chopped dried dates
1/4 cup of dried apricots and 1/4 cup of chopped almonds
1/2 cup of chopped apple pieces and a good dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup of apple finely chopped apple or raisins and 1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces
1/2 cup mashed banana and 1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried blueberries

Of course you can also experiment with your own favorite muffin ingredients.

Quinoa Porridge

Here’s a great way to “recycle” leftover cooked quinoa into a delicious breakfast dish. This quinoa porridge tastes similar to oatmeal. It’s full of good protein and whole grains to start your day right. You can easily modify this recipe by adding your favorite ingredients. Just think of your favorite version of oatmeal and then use those additions to make your version of this quinoa breakfast dish.
Quinoa Porridge

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp dried fruit
1 tbsp nuts (optional)

Pour the quinoa, milk and honey into a microwave safe bowl. Heat them for 1 to 2 minutes until nice and warm. Stir until all the honey is dissolved and incorporated into your quinoa porridge. Stir in the dried fruit and nuts.

By the way, here are some tips on how to prepare quinoa in the first place. You can cook up a big batch and store it in the fridge to be used in simple recipes with cooked quinoa like this one.

Options:

Dried Fruit – raisins, cranberry, banana chips, dried apple, chopped date etc.

Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macademia nuts, cashews etc.

You can also add various spices like cinnamon or cardamon to your quinoa porridge. Adding dried or fresh apple chunks and a good dash of cinnamon will result in a delicious quinoa apple cinnamon breakfast dish that’s very similar to it’s oatmeal cousin.

Quinoa Bread Recipe

I love to bake homemade bread and am always looking for new recipes to try. A recent addition to my collection is this quinoa bread recipe. You’ll love the nutty taste of this bread that comes from both the quinoa and the whole wheat flour. It makes wonderful sandwiches and is quite healthy too.
Quinoa Bread Recipe

1 cup whole quinoa
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar )
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups all-purpose bread flour
2 tbsp oil

Start by dissolving the packet of yeast in one cup of the warm water. Add the sugar as well, stir and set adside. Rinse the uncooked quinoa and set it aside.

Get out a large bowl and pour both types of flour and the salt in it. Give it a good stir, then mix in the quinoa as well. Add the yeast mixture and start to mix everything with your hands.

Keep the remaining cup of warm water close by and add a little at at time as needed. You’ll likely not use all of it. Use just enough to form a dough.

Knead the bread for a good 5 minutes. I like to do this on a clean kitchen table that has a little flour sprinkled on it to keep the dough from sticking.

Form the dough into round ball and put it in a large bowl. Pour the oil on the dough and move it around so the whole outside of the dough is well coated. Cover the bowl and let the it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours. The dough should double in size.

Punch the dough down, then knead it for a minute or two until it is smooth. Preheat your oven to 400F.

Sprinkle some flour on a cookie sheet, then form your dough into two loaves and set them on the baking sheet. Allow them to rest for about 20 minutes while your oven preheats. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before you start to cut it.

Classic Stuffed Peppers With Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water

6 large green peppers
1/2 can (14 oz size) vegetable broth

2 Tbsp oil, butter, or margarine
1 medium sweet onion, diced
green pepper tops, finely chopped
4 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (12 oz) salsa
8 oz Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 oz sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Get out a large deep casserole dish.

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in medium saucepan, turn down to low, put the lid on and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes; then lightly fluff with a fork. The quinoa should be a bit under-cooked, it will finish cooking in the peppers.

Meanwhile, clean peppers, cutting off tops and chopping tops into fine pieces. Arrange the green peppers in deep casserole dish and pour the vegetable broth into the bottom of the casserole. Cover and put in oven to steam peppers slightly before filling, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do this while preparing the filling.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil, onion, chopped green pepper tops, and mushrooms and cook until green peppers are soft and onions are transparent. Add diced tomatoes and garlic and stir. Heat through, then add salsa and turn heat down to simmer, and let cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and fold the quinoa into the tomato mixture in skillet. Be careful not to stir too much; that will break the quinoa down. Add the Mexican blend cheese to the mixture and toss gently again.

Remove peppers from oven and stuff with the filling. Top each pepper with the Cheddar cheese and return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until peppers are soft, and cheese on top is melted and starting to brown.

Let peppers sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Lift gently out of casserole and serve whole.