Taste Life Blog

I have been trying to eat more protein during the day so I snack less and like what I weigh. Quinoa is an easy to make high protein food. I cooked this up and had Shelly Chrisman (ShellyChrisman.com my QuickBooks Guru) taste it. I think Shelly would have liked it better without the cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro you don’t like cilantro. Wheat and gluten free and high in fiber and packed with magnesium, iron and potassium – it is time to for you to buy quiona. It is a great substitute for any recipe with rice or couscous.

2 cups quinoa
1 can of Kuner Southwestern Black Beans
1 red pepper, finely diced
Cilantro, finely chopped to taste
Lime juice to taste

Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add the two cups of quinoa. Reduce to a simmer and cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when the grains turn from white to transparent. Add remaining ingredients. Toss and serve. What could be easier.

You could add corn, garlic or onion or dress with your favorite balsamic salad dressing instead of lime juice.You can easily cook this in a rice cooker. For every one part water add two parts quinoa. Stir and cover. You can uncover the quinoa and stir it unlike when you cook rice.

Quiona has been around since the Incas but only recently has been rediscovered as a grain for our dinner table. Besides being high in protein, it is the only grains that supplies all nine essential amino acids. This makes it a great food for vegans who care about their protein intake.

Health Benefits

Migraines and Cardiovascular Disease
It is also off the charts in magnesium. Magnesium has been shown to be of value to people who suffer from migraine headaches as it helps your blood vessels to relax.

If you have cardiovascular disease this high magnesium grain can also be of benefit since low levels are often associated with an increased rate of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmia.

There are significant cardiovascular benefits for postmenopausal woman. Eating a serving of whole grains, such as quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A 3-year prospective study of over 200 postmenopausal women with CVD, published in the July 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced both:

• Slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows, and
• Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.

The women’s intake of fiber from fruits, vegetables and refined grains was not associated with a lessening in CVD progression.

For more health benefits:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

To see how to cook quinoa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7uvygMiwfo