Super Food: Quinoa

Photo by me.

My latest love and discovery is Quinoa. I realise it's an "Ancient" grain, so it's not like it's a new thing by any means, but it's definitely making it's comeback, especially in the health world. This super food is a perfect substitute for any noodle or rice dish, and is a much healthier option as it is low-calorie, high protein. If cooked correctly (which it's very hard not to cook correctly, it's a lot more forgiving than rice.) its al dente texture compliments any dish. It's nutritional facts are my favourite part. For 1 cup of cooked quinoa (in water) it's only 120 calories, 1.9g of fat, 21g Carbohydrates, 7mg Sodium, yet about 4.5 g of protein. Pretty good for your "carb" side dish, right?

Last night I was craving Red Thai Curry, but the killer with my Thai curry dishes is always the rice noodles. So a light went on in my head, and decided to use some organic Quinoa instead. And what a surprise! I used to think that Quinoa was just a fad, but now I'm a total believer!

Other ideas for Quinoa:
-In your oatmeal in the morning.
-Serve cold with some raw veggies chopped into, herbs, a bit of vinaigrette and making into a salad.
-Serve as a "pilaf", and sautee some veggies, cook with white wine. Yum.
This post may make me sound crazy, or obsessed, but seeing as my life revolves around eating healthy as well as P90x these days, I figured it deserved a blog of its own. Plus, I love good food.

Thai Red Curry with Quinoa

2-3 chicken breasts, chopped in bite size pieces.
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ Onion, Julienne
4-5 cloves Garlic, minced
2 stalks Celery, chopped
½ Red Bell Pepper, Julienne
5-6 Large Mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Cauliflower, sliced or florets
1 can Bamboo Shoots in water, drained
1 can Low-fat Coconut Milk
1 can Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
Season to Taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Brown your chicken chunks in a bit of oil in a large pot, and set aside. Using the same pot, sautee your garlic and onions, then add celery, and other vegetables. Once onions have softened, add the rest of your ingredients and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes to blend flavours. You can also add 2-3 tbsp Flour or a bit of Corn Starch to thicken if it's too liquidy. Use some chopped cilantro for that extra flavour/colour to top off your dish.

Quinoa

½ Cup Quinoa, uncooked
1 cup water

In a sauce pan, bring Quinoa to a boil, and turn on low and cover for about 15 minutes. (Read the Quinoa label, it'll tell you how to do it.)