By Haley Bridges
Keen-wah, que-huh, ken-what? Oh, quinoa! From picky eaters to people who eat anything quinoa is one of the most versatile, delicious foods you and your family could eat.
Despite it’s funny name, quinoa has quickly become one of the healthiest grains you can consume. Some even say it is one of the world’s “super foods.” However quinoa is not just beneficial for your body but it is also extremely versatile and can be used in any meal. From breakfast to dinner to a mid day snack, quinoa is a great way to add a little pizzazz to any dish.
Gluten free, high in fiber, protein and minerals, quinoa has all of the essential nutrients our bodies needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Fiber is one of the nutrients that help us keep our hunger and blood sugar in check.
From pizza crust to pasta, quinoa is a great substitute. Being gluten free it is a great substitute to incorporate into dishes that would normally contain a gluten product.
Quinoa is easy to make too! It is as simple as boiling 2 cups water or chicken broth (if you want a little more flavor) to 1-cup quinoa and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Your end product should be a nice light and fluffy grain.
If you don’t know where to start, no worries cook the quinoa and then add to any dish or make the quinoa the main part of the dish.
What we’ve learned about quinoa; it has all of the nutrients our bodies need, its versatile, it’s a great substitute, and it’s easy to cook. Looks like there is no way to go wrong with quinoa. Now go ahead and give it a try!
Quinoa Arugula Salad
- 1-cup quinoa
- 1-cup arugula
- 1 heirloom tomato
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 soy sausage-less sausage
- 1 red bell pepper
- 5 sliced black olives
- ½ of a cucumber
Vinaigrette
- 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tsp. lime
- ¼ Tsp. salt
- ¼ Tsp. pepper
Directions
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Put arugula into a big salad bowl.
3. Dice up the heirloom tomato, cucumber and red bell pepper and add to the arugula.
4. Then add pomegranate seeds and black olives.
5. Chop up the sausages and on the stove in a sauté pan add ½ cup of water and cook the sausages until golden brown on both sides.
6. Once the quinoa and sausages are done add it to the arugula.
7. Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and pour over salad.
Happy Eating!