How To: Quinoa
She is a powerhouse and holds her own pretty decently among all the other plant food we have available to us. A pantry essential in our household.
I love Quinoa particularly apart fromt eh obvious nutritional benefits which I won't get that deeply into. But know this, it's basically got everything we need to function.
High in protien and get this, Quinoa is the only plantbased seed/ grain that contains all the essential Amino Acids so this is WHERE VEGANS GET THEIR PROTIEN FROM (for all those that are curious about that subject) fibre, various vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium too.
There are so many ways to add this into your already existing meals. It's quick, it's easy and it will last you a week if stored properly.
Cooking Quinoa is like cooking rice. You can use a a regular pasta pan, a rice cooker or even a pressure cooker to make this.
1 Cup Quinoa to 2 cups water. That is the ratio I've always used and so far its worked perfectly.
Before we start cooking the quinoa, please make sure you rinse the grain with water just like you would with rice. Quinoa has a coating of this substance called Saponin which is naturally occurring to keep away insects and things. But we don't want that in our food because it tastes quiet soapy and almost bitter.
EVEN IF YOUR BAG OF QUINOA SAYS "WASHED" PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO RINSE WELL.
Finally after all that waffling...
What You Will Need
1 Cup Quinoa ( I used black, red and white)
2 Cups Water
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
1/2 Courgette diced
1/2 Yellow Pepper diced
Coriander
Parsley
1/2 lemon squeezed
Crushed Pepper
3-4 generously sized spoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic- Minced
Handful Pecans or any crunch nut of choice. Walnuts would be great too.
I would normally add 2 green chillies but this batch was for Juno. So I kept it fresh and subtle.
Method
Heat the pan of water till it starts to boil.
Add a pinch of salt and the Quinoa. Let it cook in medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.
While the above cooks, add in the rest of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and let it all sit there until the Quinoa is cooked.
Once the Quinoa is cooked. Strain and add to the mixture above.
Add the Pecans, stir and serve.
This serves 2 people beautifully well. You can have this along with some roast veg too or just as a fresh salad pre and post workout.
Hope you guys enjoyed this quick recipe. Have a beautiful day.
Lots of Love babes