Today is Foodie Friday and I'm happy to pass on an easy lunch recipe that can easily be made ahead to enjoy throughout the week. Our feature food today is quinoa. Quinoa is a seed similar to couscous but with a nicer texture (in my opinion!) I substitute it most commonly for rice. It's quick cooking (about 15 minutes) and is a complete source of all 9 essential amino acids (i.e. a complete protein). It's also gluten and cholesterol free. Quinoa is amazingly flexible. You can eat it cooked in the a.m. with a little cinnamon and honey, add it to soups, use it as a side dish or even bake with it's ground versions. If you haven't tried it before try this recipe out for a lovely introduction...
Quinoa and Mango Salad
Dressing:
1/3 cup (75 mL) low-fat greek yogurt (or plain)
2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced gingerroot
2 tsp (10 mL) curry powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
1/4 cup (65 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa
2 ripe mangoes, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh mint or rounded tbsp of dry (really try for fresh though!)
1/2 cup (250 mL) walnuts, pecans, or almonds, toasted
8 cups of spinach
Mix dressing ingredients and set aside.
Cook quinoa in 1 cup of salted water for 15 minutes. Let cool. Toss all the salad ingredients together ( except the spinach) and add dressing. Add your spinach to your plate, top with mango mixture and sprinkle with nuts. If making ahead, keep the components separate and mix them when ready to eat!
Makes 4 servings.
Cooking the quinoa
The ingredient line up!
This is how your quinoa should look when it's done
All the veggie's prepped
The finished product. My lighting was so bad that this doesn't look nearly as appealing as it tastes. I promise it's awesome!
Have a great weekend! Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment