Garden Quinoa

Quinoa has been a popular lunch item for us lately!  Mike prefers his with olive oil, lemon juice, feta, red onion, and red pepper while I prefer mine like this!  I keep a large container of garden quinoa in the fridge for a quick fix lunch.  MUCH better than the crusts of grilled cheese and left over pb&j triangles I find myself eating all too often!  

Quinoa is very healthy for you and an easy prep dish!  Here’s a little bit about this  “super food!”:

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) tastes very much like a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. It also cooks like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that can difficult to digest or for those on a gluten free diet!

Some of the nutrients in quinoa (one of the top super foods) include:

Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.

Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient!

Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber!

Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous, disease-causing substances.

Prep Ahead Plan:  Make this  dish and store it in the fridge for an easy pre-made lunch during the week! 

Garden Quinoa

Ingredients

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 pinch salt

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced

2 bunches green onions, diced (or chives, or red onion diced)

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.  Rinse quinoa thoroughly (this prevents it from tasting bitter).

2.  In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.   Fluff with a fork.

3.  Cool to room temperature or stick it in the fridge to cool for a bit.

4.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl or storage container, combine olive oil, garlic powder lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and parsley. Stir into cooled quinoa and refrigerate.