Warm Mint Quinoa Medley

This dish is highly nutritious!! The Quinoa on its own supplies us with fiber, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.  The addition of a variety of colorful vegetables nestled on top of this pseudograin raises its nutritional profile considerably.  This dish has a sweet, nutty flavor that can be eaten for lunch or dinner and will leave you completely satisfied.









Ingredients:

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp dried mint
½ cup dried quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup peas
½ tsp Herbamare aromatic sea salt
Pepper to taste
4 mushrooms
½ avocado
1 tomato
2 cups fresh spinach
1 carrot
½ red bell pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa in water rubbing it between your hands to remove the bitter saponin (bitter resin that served to deter birds and insects from eating it). Cooks like rice, 1:2 quinoa-to-water ratio.  Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, stir once, cover with lid, turn heat down to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Will have a light, fluffy texture. 
2. Steam or cook peas (frozen work well).  Mix in a bowl with quinoa.  Add Herbamare and pepper.   
3. In a bowl mix the olive oil with dried mint and salt to taste.  Slice up all the vegetables.
4. Pour half of the olive oil and mint into bottom of bowl, then cover with quinoa and pea mixture and top with fresh cut vegetables.  Serves two large portions.

 

Enjoy!

Note: Ensure you get some mint olive oil with each bite as it makes all the other beautiful flavors pop!  Quinoa can be toasted in the pan for a few minutes before cooking to give it a richer flavor. Stir continuously during the toasting to prevent burning and to toast the grains evenly.  Switch up the variety and amount of vegetables to your liking. 

  Whole Food Sneak Peak:  Quinoa

AKA “vege-grain”

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) was the centerpiece of the Andean diet and was a primary food source while animal foods were secondary.  It was the most sacred food and was held in such high regard, it was called “the mother grain.”  Natives of the Andes claim it helps strengthen women during pregnancy and postpartum, and promotes healthier milk in nursing mothers. 

Quinoa is a pseudograin, as its not a member of the grass family (wheat, oats, barley or rye), but closely related to species such as beets and green leafy vegetables like spinach and swiss chard.  It has a beautiful spiral look when cooked, a nutty flavor and tender chewiness to the palate. 

It has an impressive nutritional profile.  It is a complete vegetable protein -- it has a high protein content (about 20%) and contains a nice balance of all the essential amino acids.  The protein quality is superior to common cereal grains.  It is also a great source of calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins.  This whole grain is packed full of fiber (one cup of cooked quinoa has 5 grams of fiber, which is about 20% of your daily needs). 

Quinoa is gluten-free, considered easy to digest and an ideal food for those prone to food allergies.

Quinoa cooks very quickly and is very versatile.  It can be used in breakfasts, desserts, soups, in place of rice or couscous, ideal for grain and fresh vegetable salads and is the perfect “vege-grain” accompaniment to any dish.