Fitness Freak Top 5 Quinoa Recipes

Yep, it’s true, quinoa has got celeb status at the moment… and rightly so.

Pronounced ‘keen-wah’, this seed (often confused with a grain) is frequently described as a super food, with good reason. It is one of the only plant foods that supplies complete proteins, which means it offers all essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. It is therefore an excellent choice for vegans and for a lot of women who may struggle to get enough protein in their diets. Related to beets, chard and spinach, quinoa is also a great wheat-free alternative to starchy grains.

Nutritional highlights:

With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Quinoa is among the least allergenic of all the grains, making it a fantastic for coeliac (believe me, I know what I’m talking about, my wife is one of them). According to several researches, it also has very interesting anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it potentially beneficial in the prevention and treatment of diseases.

A 100g serving of quinoa provides:

  • 368 calories
  • 14g protein
  • 6g fat
  • 64g carbohydrate
  • 7g fibre

As if all the above was not enough, quinoa is also naturally high in dietary fibre. It means it is a slowly digested carbohydrate, making it a good low-GI option.

KEEN ON QUINOA?  HERE MY TOP 5 QUINOA RECIPES FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE

My first two quinoa recipes are straight out of Natural Born Feeder by Roz Purcell. Her blog is gaining a huge following and rightly so as it is all about using whole foods to create delicious and nutritious meals and sweet treats. Roz grew up in what she describes as a “subconsciously healthy family”, meaning that she learned to love real whole foods and this is very much evident in her excellent recipes.

Quinoa Recipe No.1 Beetroot, Hazelnut & Goats cheese Quinoa Tartlet by Roz Purcell 

roz

Her Beetroot & Goats Cheese Quinoa Tartlet is creative, tasty and nutritious and so gets the Cheif Freak seal of approval.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

  • 1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil/ kerry gold butter
  • Water 3-4 tbsp
  • Pinch of sea salt

Filling

  • 200g cooked beetroot
  • 3 tbsp apple cider balsamic
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 red onion
  • Handful fresh thyme
  • 100g soft goats cheese

Please jump over to her blog to view cooking method 

Quinoa Recipe No.2 Quinoa Salad with Shredded Chicken by Roz Purcell 

quin roz

SALAD MIX
*makes 2 large portions

  • 1.1/2 cup quinoa
  • 7 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 large cucumber diced into cubes
  • 1 red onion diced finely
  • 1/2 cup red split lentils
  • 100g hazelnuts toasted with skin removed
  • 50g pumpkin and sunflower seeds toasted
  • 25g fresh parsley leaves chopped
  • 1/2 small head of raw broccoli chopped
  • 75 g feta cheese diced into cubes
  • * add chicken – I roasted a whole chicken then teared the meat off the bone adding a little salt & pepper

DRESSING

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tsp tamari/soya sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey/maple
  • 1 level tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Juice of a lemon
  • tsp sea salt

Again please visit Roz’s blog to view cooking method 

 

Quinoa Recipe no 3. Quinoa, beetroot & goats cheese salad by your truly 

A very quick, easy and nutritious #FreakEats recipe you might already be familiar with. Yep, you guessed… pure food porn :)

 

Quinoa Recipe no 4. Quinoa Cacao Crispy Treats by Deliciously Ella

 

Anyone who knows me, knows Deliciously Ella is my go to for inspiration. I have tried many of her recipes and have adapted some with my own Freaky twist. What I just love about Ella is how she makes healthy food enjoyable. Ella really get that food has a remarkable effect on our bodies, both physically and mentally, so through her blog she aims to inspire people to love healthy eating. She totally hits the mark with this recipe!

Quinoa Recipe no 5. Quinoa Burgers by the Chief Freak 

Quinoa recipe - Quinoa burgers

Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients:

  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 of a cup of dry quinoa
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon of seasalt
  • 1 tsp of black pepper
  • The rind of 1 lemon
  • 1 dessert spoon of olive oil
  • 2 tsp of Dijon or wholegrain mustard
  • 1 lemon (same lemon quartered)
  • Fresh dill (not pictured)

 

Method:

  1. Boil the quinoa in double the volume of water for approx 15 minutes until the water is evaporated and the quinoa is puffed up.
  2. Strain it for few minutes.
  3. Whilst boiling the quinoa, cut up the red pepper into batons and grill under hot grill until soft, approx 10 minutes.

Ok things moving on to step 4…In a bowel add the:

  • cooked quinoa
  • egg
  • lemon rind
  • mustard
  • red peppers
  • cooked salmo

5. Next heat the olive oil in a frying pan and spoon out some of the mixture onto a frying pan and form into a cake    shape.

6. Cook for approx 3-4 minutes each side. You’ll see the end starting to brown. It’s probably best to cook one end on the frying pan and then finish off by placing it under the grill to cook the top…it’ll save you from trying to flip them over,

7. Now dish up: Serve with some lemon wedges, just squeeze some of the juice over, a dollop of mayo and a sprinkle of fresh dill…..boooom booom booom!!

A cheeky side salad of rocket, yellow pepper and olives, and your ready to get rocking with this super grain.

If all else fails pop into James Whelans Butchers in Clonmel and pick up their cutie Quinoa,spinach,nut& cranberry salad from the deli counter….ask for Karl and tell him the Chief sent you:)

karl james whelans quinnoa

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Regards,

Chief Freak