Quinoa the ancient grain

I love quinoa. I love it because of the taste, versatility, protein, magnesium, it’s just good stuff.

What is quinoa? Quinoa is a nutty flavored grain that can be used in sweet and savory dishes. It is also a complete source of protein ( meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids ) and is a great source of magnesium.

Today, I am going to share my all time favorite quinoa recipe with you.  This recipe made it’s way into existence the way most of my recipes do, with a rice cooker and no plan.  Thankfully, i’s very easy to put together and very delicious.

Feel free to put your own spin on the ingredients. I rarely make anything the exact same way, it keeps things interesting.

 

Ashley’s Gluten Free/Vegetarian Summer Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa prepared ( according to the package )

½ organic onion diced

1 organic green pepper diced

1 organic red pepper diced

1 organic zucchini diced

1 can of organic corn

1 can organic black beans

1 16 oz jar of salsa Verde

1tsp cumin

1tsp chili powder

1tsp garlic powder

flaked pepper to taste

To serve with:

Corn tortilla squares (Gluten Free )

 

Preparation:

Take the above ingredients and place in a rice cooker or pot on the stove. Set to medium for 20-25 minutes. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables in this recipe. I’ve used all three, and all three are delicious. For the best results, make sure the vegetables and quinoa are at a similar temperature when starting to cook.


Serve with warm corn tortilla squares and optional vegan cheese shreds if your feeling fancy, enjoy! You can enjoy this dish hot or cold.

 

Recipes Variations: So you’ve made to much and now your bored with Quinoa Summer Salad? Take leftovers and scramble with eggs and spinach for a very healthy and protein packed omelet.  Or add it to corn taco shells topped with lettuce and salsa for taco night. You can even add this salad to a cold or hot soup for added bulk, my personal favorite is homemade tomato soup. It could even be used in a ( messy but delicious) open tofu sandwich, the sky’s the limit!

 

Share your favorite way to enjoy quinoa!

 

Side note: Quinoa can be hard to find at your everyday grocer. Health food stores will almost always have this grain in stock, you can also find it online.

 

More related features:

Easy Cold Salad Recipes

Easy Recipes Inspired By the Angels

Inspiration for moving forward

Inspiration and hope from the dolphin

Five ways children inspire us

More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad