Good friend and massage therapist, Lori, asked me the other day for some creative ways to prepare Quinoa. This ancient grain from South America packs a protein punch in every serving and should be a staple in diets of vegans or vegetarians, not to mention a great addition to the diets of all. Lori has been eating quinoa with a little bit of salsa about 3 days per week, which while it does taste scrumptious, gets slightly boring after a while. I modeled this recipe after a favorite salad of mine: Panzanella.
Lori - this one's for you! Let's call it QUINELLA :)
2 Servings:
*2/3 cup dry quinoa (prepare according to package directions - will bulk up to about 1.66 cups)
*1/2 cup chopped tomato
*1/4 cup sliced red onions
*1 small clove of garlic, minced
*1/2 cup sliced raw mushrooms/marinated mushrooms/roasted mushrooms
*1/2 cup quartered mini mozzarella balls
*1 slice VERY well cooked bacon or turkey bacon
*1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonad)
*2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
*3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*1/4 teaspoon spicy mustard
1/8 teaspoon driend oregano
salt & black pepper
*Cook dry quinoa according to package directions. Quinoa is fully cooked when it looks like the grain's "tail" has unwound (will take about 10 minutes) - when cooked, place aside to let cool slightly
*Cook bacon in saute pan until VERY crispy (will take about 30 min on medium heat)
*Meanwhile prepare and mix all vegetables with cheese in a separate bowl
*Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and dried herbs and whisk to combine
*Add quinoa to vegetables and mix in vinaigrette
ENJOY!
per serving:
585 kcal, 23 grams protein, 34 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 5 grams fiber
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