MexiQuinoa
from 500 Vegan Recipes
So what's so great about Quinoa? (pronounced 'keen-wa')
Well for one thing it's pretty affordable and gluten-free, so it's safe for everyone to eat. For all the vegans out there or non-meat eaters it's also an amazing source of protein. A ½ cup serving of dry quinoa has approximately 11 grams of protein, when cooked it's low in fat and still high in protein, nearly 9g per cup. It doesn't end there, it's also loaded with minerals such as magnesium.
Best of all quinoa is as easy to cook as rice, maybe easier! It absorbs any flavour you add to it and it can make for an excellent comfort food alternative to potatoes or starchy bread.
Here's a great summary of quinoa's greatness:
It provides a rich source of vegetable protein and slow releasing carbohydrates. A relative of spinach and chard, quinoa is the only "grain" considered to be a complete protein source. It contains all eight of the amino acids that are important for our health. This is especially important for vegans, because no other grain possesses the amino acid lysine which is important for the growth of tissue and their repair (source).
Sources:
Diet Blog
Dietriffic
Quinoa Kitchen
In honour of this amazing grain-like seed I am going to challenge myself to make a new dish using quinoa every night for one week and will share it with you on this blog (September 27 - October 1).
Wish me luck!