10 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Quinoa! – One Green Planet

We could all the time be waiting for uncover new meals developments, however typically it’s higher to look again at what our ancestors had been consuming. Historical cultures just like the Incas knew that quinoa was a superfood lengthy earlier than it turned the “new” grain everyone seems to be consuming now. Quinoa is super-healthy! It’s a whole protein, has plenty of nutritional vitamins and minerals, is filled with fiber, and helps us preserve wholesome blood sugar ranges. Quinoa is quick and straightforward to prepare dinner, and better of all, it’s scrumptious. However if you happen to assume quinoa is only a facet dish, assume once more. Quinoa might be the inspiration of a whole meal that’s filling, wholesome, and tastes unbelievable. Its versatility lets us use quinoa in soups, salads, burgers, and extra. We are able to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert.

Listed here are some concepts of flip quinoa right into a scrumptious, satisfying meal:

1. Primary Cooking

As talked about, quinoa is fast and straightforward to make. Rinse the quinoa properly earlier than utilizing to do away with any bitter taste from the outer coating known as saponin. Add 1 cup of quinoa to a saucepan. You’ll be able to toast it earlier than including water if you happen to select to. Add 2 cups water or broth and produce it to a boil. Cut back the warmth to a simmer and prepare dinner, lined, for 15 to twenty minutes, till the quinoa is tender and/or the liquid is absorbed. Drain any remaining liquid and fluff with a fork. Season as desired. For extra ideas, see The best way to Cook dinner Excellent Fluffy Quinoa Each Time.

2. Breakfast of Champions

Let’s begin the recipe concepts with crucial meal of the day. Beginning the day with a superfood is a step in the correct course. Say “Good Morning” with this Protein-Packed Quinoa Breakfast Bowl that has blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and heat spices. This Wintery Quinoa Porridge has peanut butter, pomegranate, berries, nuts, and seeds. Make wholesome muffins like these Quinoa, Apricot and Oat Muffin Cluster,s that are flourless and gluten-free.

3. Satisfying Salads

Salads make nice mild meals, however they’re even higher once they have added protein. Quinoa is the proper method to try this. I make a Rainbow Quinoa Tabbouleh, which is my gluten-free model of the Mediterranean dish. The rainbow impact is from all of the colourful veggies I put into it. Cook dinner 1 cup of quinoa till it’s smooth and fluffy, and let it cool in a bowl. Add to it 2 seeded and diced cucumbers, 3 seeded and diced plum tomatoes, 1 small seeded and diced yellow bell pepper, and 5 finely chopped scallions. Combine in 1 cup of chopped recent parsley, ¼ cup recent mint, and ¼ cup recent dill. In a small bowl, make the dressing by combining 3 Tbs. olive oil, 3 Tbs. recent lemon juice, 1 tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Toss the quinoa salad with the dressing and style for any seasoning changes. Refrigerate till able to serve.

Different quinoa salads to strive embody Broccoli Salad with Quinoa, Scallions and Roasted Cashews, Quinoa, Lime and Black Bean Salad, Wholesome Quinoa Salad, Curried Kale and Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Salad with Figs, Purslane, and Goji Berries, and Quinoa and Beet Salad with Hazelnuts.

4. Hearty Burgers

Quinoa not solely makes burgers heartier and more healthy, however it acts as a binder, serving to the burger to not disintegrate as on this Hoisin Black Bean Burger with Spicy Sesame Sauce. Quinoa may also be the star of the burger. Strive these Finest Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Pumpkin Seed Onion Cream, The Final Vegan Burger, Baked Quinoa Burger Patties with Lemon Tahini Sauce, Quinoa and White Bean Burger, Quinoa Veggie Burger Sandwich, and these Simple Vegan Sloppy Joes.

5. Soulful Soups & Stews

Nothing is as comforting as an enormous bowl of scorching soup or stew. Flip your soups from meal-starters to finish meals by including protein- and fiber-packed quinoa. Stews get an added increase from this historic superfood. My Ethiopian Beans, Greens and Quinoa Stew is spicy and scrumptious: saute 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 Tbs. recent grated ginger in peanut oil till softened and browned. Add one small diced onion and saute till golden. Combine in a tablespoon or two of Berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix, and toss to coat the onions. Add 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas and 4 diced plum tomatoes and prepare dinner till the tomatoes soften and break down, about 5 minutes. Wilt in a single giant bunch of chopped kale, collards, spinach, or greens of your selection, by the handful, stirring usually. Serve the dish over quinoa and prime with a dollop of vegan bitter cream. For extra soulful recipes, do this African Peanut Soup with quinoa and mung beans and this smoky, spicy, creamy Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup.

6. Stuffed Dishes

Quinoa is the proper meals for stuffing different meals after which stuffing your stomach. I make Quinoa, Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes. Minimize the tops off giant beefsteak tomatoes and take away the pulp and seeds, setting the pulp apart. Saute finely chopped onion, minced garlic, and finely chopped mushrooms. Season them with parsley, thyme, crimson pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Wilt the spinach into the veggies after which add the tomato pulp. Combine in some dietary yeast or vegan grated parmesan and a couple of cups of cooked quinoa. Cook dinner for five minutes or till every part is heated by way of, after which switch the combination to a bowl and let it cool. Stuff the mushroom-quinoa combination into the hollowed-out tomatoes. Pack the stuffing in properly. Place the stuffed tomatoes right into a frivolously oiled baking dish. High every tomato with bread crumbs combined with olive oil and recent, chopped parsley. Bake lined for 20 minutes, till the tomatoes are softened and the stuffing is scorching. Take away the duvet and bake one other 10 minutes so the bread crumbs get browned. Serve scorching or chilly.

Different stuffed quinoa dishes embody these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers, Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Quinoa and Chickpeas, Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf, and Quinoa Stuffed Squash.

7. Further-Particular Entrees

Whereas quinoa makes superb facet dishes, it additionally works to make unbelievable entrees. Do that Cajun Tofu with Soiled Quinoa, Quinoa and Candy Potato Noodle Bolognese with Toasted Crushed Almonds, Cajun Quinoa Truffles with Lemon-Dill- Sriracha Remoulade, and Mini-Quinoa Chickpea Truffles. Crimson quinoa, beets, and crimson kidney beans come collectively to make this stunning Crimson Quinoa Loaf.

8. Easy Swap-outs

Utilizing quinoa as an alternative of rice or flour is a straightforward option to make a dish more healthy and filling. I prefer to skip the rice and make Quinoa Veggie Fried “Rice” with quinoa to up the protein. Quinoa additionally cooks in half the time of brown rice, so it’s a time-saver too. To make it: warmth 1 Tbs. oil in a skillet. Saute 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1-inch recent sliced ginger. Add 2 chopped bell peppers, 2 julienned carrots, and 1 bunch chopped asparagus and saute till crisp-tender. Wilt in 2 cupsof  recent spinach. Toss the veggies with 3 cups cooked quinoa and season with 2 Tbs. tamari and a couple of Tbs. brown rice vinegar. Serve scorching.

For one more fried “rice” dish, do this Pineapple Fried Quinoa. Quinoa steps in for rice once more on this Seasonal Quinoa Pilaf with Ramps, Artichokes, and Peas. Skip the flour and make a flourless pizza crust with quinoa like this Wholesome “Digestive-Pleasant” Quinoa Pizza Crust.

9. Sides which are the Star

In fact, quinoa makes superb facet dishes, however as a result of they’re crammed with protein and fiber, it might simply be the primary dish as properly. Quinoa is the star of dishes like this Quinoa with Roasted Root Veggies and Currants, Quinoa with Secret Pesto and Solar-Dried Tomatoes, Pistachio Pesto Quinoa, Quinoa with Veggies, Cashews and Solar-Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Root Greens on Quinoa with Yogurt Sauce, Zen Lentil and Quinoa Kitchari, and Scrumptious Indian Lime and Peanut Quinoa.

10. Guilt-Free Desserts

Quinoa for dessert? You wager! Utilizing this superfood to make desserts will make you are feeling higher about digging into one thing decadent and scrumptious. Strive these Superfood Cinnamon Rolls, Popped Quinoa Chocolate Crispy Truffles, Quinoa Lavender Cookies, Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Quinoa Date Nut Truffles.

Wow! These Incas had been actually onto one thing with quinoa. It might have taken us a very long time to catch on, however now that we all know how good quinoa is and the way good it’s for us, we must always eat it on a regular basis. Benefit from the recipes!

Study The best way to Cook dinner Plant-Based mostly Meals at Dwelling

Lowering your meat consumption and consuming extra plant-based meals is thought to assist with persistent irritation, coronary heart well being, psychological well-being, health targets, dietary wants, allergic reactions, intestine well being, and extra! Dairy consumption additionally has been linked to many well being issues, together with pimples, hormonal imbalance, most cancers,  prostate most cancers, and has many unwanted effects.

For these of you interested by consuming extra plant-based, we extremely suggest grabbing our favourite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Meals Monster App — with over 20,000 scrumptious recipes, it’s the largest plant-based recipe useful resource to assist scale back your environmental footprint, save animals, and get wholesome! And, when you are at it, we encourage you to additionally study concerning the environmental and well being advantages of a plant-based food regimen.

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