January makes me think of one word - Resolutions. Many people enter the new year with goals to go to the gym, lose weight, and have a healthier lifestyle. The best way to do that is to change your diet for the better. Quinoa is a whole-grain carbohydrate which works great to bulk up a salad, replace rice, make a skillet, or really whatever you want! Quinoa is a very versatile grain that, like the recipes below suggest, can be added to almost any cuisine. Make a goal to add quinoa to a meal this week, try adding it to two next week, lets get healthy together.
- One cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, 58% of the recommended daily allowance, and 30% of the RDA for Magnesium
- Quinoa is very high in fiber, and it is much higher than most other grains. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 5 grams of fiber
- Quinoa is a gluten-free food and perfect substitution for rice, pasta, or other ingredients that don't agree with all of us
Recipes:
Mexican Skillet Quinoa (Eatingwell.com)
- 1 (4 ounce) Sweet Potato, cut into 1/3 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup chopped Yellow Onion
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregan0
- 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 1/4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 cup frozen Corn
- 1 cup uncooked Quinoa
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro Leaves
- 1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
- Combine sweet potato and water in a large skillet; bring to a boil over high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potato is mostly tender and water is completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and add oil and onion; cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 3 more minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, chili powder and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, corn, quinoa and salt, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until quinoa is tender and liquid has been completely absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover and top with cilantro and sour cream.
Easy Quinoa Salad (Twopeasandtheirpod.com)
For Dressing:
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1 clove Minced Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Golden Balsamic Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup or Honey
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For Salad:
- 2 cups cold, cooked Quinoa
- 2 cups fresh Spinach Leaves, chopped
- 1 cup chopped Cucumber
- 1 cup halved Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 large Avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
- 2 Green Onions, sliced
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- First, make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup or honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and green onions.
- Drizzle salad with dressing and gently stir until salad is coated with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (Fitfoodiefinds.com)
- 1 cup Uncooked Quinoa
- 2 cups Water
- 1 15-oz can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
- 10-oz Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
- 1 medium Red Onion, finely sliced
- 1 cup chopped English Cucumber
- 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata Olives
- 1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Mint
- 4 oz Feta Cheese crumbles
For Dressing:
- 6 tablespoons Hummus
- 2 teaspoons minced Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Kalamata Olive Juice
- First, prepare quinoa by placing quinoa and water into a medium-sized pot. Bring quinoa to a boil over medium-high heat and then turn the burner down to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes or until water has absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill.
- Next, prepare the dressing by placing all ingredients into a jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake to combine. Add water to thin the dressing out, if needed.
- For the salad, place the chilled quinoa into a large bowl and then add the rest of the salad ingredients. Drizzle on all of the dressing and toss to combine. Serve Chilled.
