hot and healthy quinoa breakfast bowl

that's right. quinoa. for breakfast. why had i never thought of this before? when it cooks it fluffs up like mad, so it would clearly just be an awesome alternative for your joe shmoe oatmeal or cream of wheat. quinoa is just so much cooler. gluten free and jam packed with nutrition (complete protein, iron, niacin and fibre), quinoa is pretty much just the best way to start your day! it was thick, creamy, filling and ridiculously satisfying! this meal is something i like to call a superfood. it has so many vitamins and minerals its basically a big, delicious dose of health! pecans and almonds added healthy fats, extra protein, tons of antioxidants, 18 essential nutrients and of course, the crunch factor. the ground flax added your daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and phytochemicals. cinnamon and nutmeg provide all the manganese you need, blood sugar control and all that nice stuff.

i added quite a bit of cinnamon to my quinoa cause it makes it so much more comforting for those cold, early mornings! also, i used soy because i invited a not-so-milk-loving-but-quinoa-loving friend to taste my little experiment. plus i like that it has all sorts of vitamins, minerals and goodness in it as well. basically, i would add a bit, taste, and adjust to your liking. so, without further ado, here's the recipe!

oh. yeah. my little bowl of comfort, right there!

what you need:
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups vanilla soy milk (or whatever milk you like)
1/2 cup water
handful chopped pecans
handful chopped almonds
handful of fresh berries (blackberries were the best!)
3 tbsp crushed flax seed
2-3 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches of nutmeg
* if you use regular milk, add 2 tbsp brown sugar to make it sweeter

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 350. put a large pot onto medium high heat. add your water and milk, and wait for it to boil. if your quinoa isn't pre-washed, place it in a sieve under water until it runs clear. once boiling, add your quinoa and cook for ~15 minutes or until big and fluffy or until all the liquid is gone.

bubble bubble bubble

step 2:
chop up your pecans and almonds and toast in the oven for a few minutes. be careful not to burn them! once your quinoa is cooked, stir in your flax, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. serve and plop on the berries of your choice!

doesn't that just look glorious?!

this batch made enough to last me the entire week, plus give some to a friend! to reheat, simply scoop in a bowl, add a bit of milk and heat for ~1.5 minutes or until milk starts to bubble. you can use other fruit as well, such as pears, apples, bananas or nectarines! i looooved it with blackberries though. so delicious!

do you have any kin-oh-aaaahh?

i remember the first time i wanted to buy quinoa. i had watched countless dr. oz and the doctors episodes and new all the ridiculous nutrition info about the ancient, and quite hard to find, grain. so, my dad and i set out to the grocery store to search for some. we looked and looked, and couldn't find it anywhereee, even in the local healthy organic food store! eventually, my dad decided to ask an employee where we could get some.

  dad:  "hey, do you have any kin-oh-aaaaah?"

  guy:  "uuumm...... what is that?"

  me:   "a grain type thing?"

  guy:  "ok, let me ask someone"

  2 minutes later

  new guy:  "what are you looking for?"

  dad:   "kin-oh-aaaaah"

  new guy:  "you mean, keen-wah?"

  me:  "YES" 

  new guy: *walks 2 steps* "its right here!"

  dad + me:  *facepalm*

and that everyone, was the epic angelopoulos search for kin-oh-aaaaah. and now my dad knows how to pronounce it properly (i of course knew how to say it, but thought it was funnier watching my dad haha).

aaaanyways. yes. so i've already done an ingredient of the week on quinoa (here) so i'll save you all that boring health information. all you really need to know is that its awesome and it has lots of protein. i bought a massiiiveee bag of organic quinoa from costco, and finally put some of it to use! this may come as a surprise to many of you, but i've started to like new things. mushrooms are one of them! this was my very first time cooking them, which was quite exciting! so, this was ridiculously tasty considering i made it up off the top of my head. man, i'm good! anyways, here's my asian inspired vegetarian quinoa pilaf.

doesn't look like much, but man, it was awesome!

what you need:
2 cups of quinoa *pre-washed
1 package of extra firm tofu
olive oil for cooking
1 package of mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 package of snap or snow peas
1 onion
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp ginger
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken stock

step 1:
cut your tofu into small bite sized pieces. place in a dish with the soy sauce and ginger. set aside and let marinade for ~30 minutes, stirring occasionally. finely dice your onion and saute in a large saucepan on medium heat. while that's browning, slice your mushrooms into small bite sized pieces and saute in a separate pan until nice, brown and tender.
step 2:
chop your garlic and add to the onions, cook till aromatic and then add in your diced red pepper. let this cook down until the peppers are tender. when mushrooms are done, add to the pot along with chicken stock, cayenne pepper, tofu and any extra marinade and of course, the quinoa.
step 3:
the quinoa should take about 15 minutes to cook, so while that's going, whipe down the pan you used to cook the mushrooms in, and place on medium heat. slice the ends of the snap peas off, cut in half and put in the pan. add 1/2 cup water and steam them. when they reach a nice, bright green, strain and put in an ice bath.
step 4:
you'll know the quinoa is finished cooking cause it puffs up A LOT. add the snow peas to your dish, scoop on some pilaf, and enjoy!

yummy yummy! made ~6 servings

ingredient of the week: quinoa

here's a new feature on my blog! it's ingredient of the week, where i pick a nutritious ingredient that i love to cook with and get to tell you all about it's health benefits and even include some recipes. i'm super excited about this, and i'm sure you'll learn something!

so to kick us off is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), the fruit of a broadleaf plant in the same family as spinach and beets, commonly used in the same way as rice or couscous. it's nutty, crunchy and creamy and is perfect for a vegetarian or vegan diet as it is a complete protein (due to the high amount of essential amino acids). quinoa is also gluten free and super easy to digest, so it's perfect for people with celiac disease or digestive problems.

 Chenopodium Quinoa

quinoa originates from south america, where it has been an important food for over 6,000 years. The Incas referred to quinoa as the "mother of all grains" and recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. as for nutritional benefits, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus, and is very high in magnesium and iron. quinoa isn't the most common ingredient, so if you can't find it in the legume section of your supermarket, ask an associate or make a trip to your local organic or health food store.

brand of quinoa i found

i found some quinoa at the organic foods store next to my hot yoga studio. it was about $6.00 and for the recipe below (enough for 4-5 servings) i used 1/5 of the bag. i'd say with all the health benefits, it's totally worth the trek! 

the recipe i am going to share with you is a quinoa pilaf with roasted zucchini. the first time i made this, my dad and i went down to our local veggie store and they had a recipe for quinoa pilaf on these little cards. i modified this one a bit from the original, you can add any spices you want, you don't really need the tofu and can add any veggies you like, really. this is what i came up with!

what you will need:
3/4 cup quinoa
1/2 an onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
1 green and red pepper, diced
1/2 zucchini
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups low-sodium broth
1/4 container of firm tofu
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. heat oil in pan over medium heat. add onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes or until soft. add in peppers and cook till soft.
step 2:
stir in quinoa, broth, tomatoes, tofu and spices and bring to a boil. cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until soft. put zucchini in the oven for ~15 minutes depending on how thick you cut the slices. serve when both are ready!

delicious and nutritious dinner