6 Benefits of Eating Quinoa and Four Easy-to-Make Recipes

Pull out all your Master Chef caps to the forefront because after reading these quick and lip-smacking hunger fixes, you will be inspired to curate a delicious and alimentary meal for yourself. Want to indulge in a wholesome ‘Hors d’ouvre’ or ‘plat principal’; this parent grain will come to your rescue. 

A basic recipe involving quinoa is easy and quick to prepare. Just follow these mentioned steps:

             – Add to cups of water (240 ml) in a pot whilst turning up the heat.

             – Add 1 cup of raw quinoa (170 grams), with a pinch of salt.

             – Boil for 15-20 minutes.

             – Enjoy the adulating fluffy texture, filled with a mild nutty flavour and satiating crunch.

Now, now! To all those who are excited to experiment further, we have some out-of-the-world recipes for you.

1. Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa: Bored of the clichéd breakfast options, and want a healthy change? We have a great alternative to spunk up the most important meal of your day. Imagine a power-packed confluence of fresh blueberries, a drizzle of honey to quench our sugar cravings, and sliced almonds to give you some excess crunch. Tastes like heaven, right? Hey, and guess what- it can even fulfil your midnight pangs. Damn, we’re drooling. To make this delight, you’d require the following ingredients:

• 2 cups of 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of grounded cinnamon
• 1 seeded vanilla bean
• 2 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon of honey

To enjoy this sustaining meal, all you need to do is whisk the milk, cinnamon seeds and vanilla bean seeds in a large measuring cup. Evenly scoop the quinoa into serving bowls. Immediately serve it with the milk mix, replete with blueberries, almonds and a spray of honey.

2. Strawberry Quinoa Salad: Looking to get fit and eat green, while also giving in to your taste buds? Well, then it’s no coincidence you stumbled upon this genius dish. A perfect pre-meal appetizer, you can be assured of following the right path. 

All you need is the following:

• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 2 cups of strawberries cut into halves
• 1 halved, seeded, stripped and diced avocado
• Half cup cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup of pecan halves
• ¼ cup of crumbled goat cheese
• Balsamic vinaigrette made of ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 pressed garlic cloves and 2 or more teaspoons of fine granulated sugar.

Once you have these building blocks ready, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and sugar together in a small bowl to prepare the vinaigrette. Set it aside for a while. In the meantime, you can start assembling the salad. Simply place the spinach in a large bowl. Following this, top it with strawberries, avocado, quinoa, pecans and goat cheese. You can now cascade the dressing atop the salad, and gently toss and turn this mixture. Your fancy salad is now ready to be devoured. 

3. Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers: Desiring a light, yet flavourful healthy lunch or a mid-day snack? Do you wish to try something unconventional? Well, look no further. Loaded with protein and veggies, this item is everything you want to maintain a balance. To make this combination, you’ll require the following ingredients: 

• 3 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 can of green chillies
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• ½ cups each of drained and rinsed black beans, delicately sliced tomatoes and shredded pepper jack cheese.
• ¼ cup of fragmented feta cheese.
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon each of cumin and garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon each of onion and chilli powders.
• Kosher salt and newly grounded black pepper
• 6 bell peppers with their tops cut, steamed and seeded.

Just as the images on social media portray, this dish lives up to its fame, and more. To get that succulent and intoxicating flavours and textures to tease your taste buds, start with pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees F; simultaneously line a 9 x 3 baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix and toss the quinoa, green chillies, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheeses, cilantro, cumin, garlic, onion and chilli powder, salt and pepper. Taste this combination to modify according to your preference. Add a spoonful of this filling into each bell pepper cavity. With the cavity side up, place on the baking paper, and bake till the cavities are tender along with the heated filling for about 15-20 minutes. Looking super palatable, you can now dive straight into it.

4. Quinoa Chicken Parmesan:For all our non-vegetarian patrons, are you looking to extend your love for chicken in a nutritive manner. Luckily for y’all, this crisp and brazen quinoa crust does just that. It truly is a complete meal in itself. Without further ado, let’s explore how it’s made. The components you’ll need are: 

• 1 cup each of quinoa and homemade or store-purchased marinara sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise in half.
• Kosher salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
• ½ cup each of all-purpose flour and shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 2 large, beaten eggs
• ¼ cup each of grated Parmesan cheese and chiffonier basil leaves. 

Are you eager to relish this gorgeous-looking chicken? Hold your bated breaths because the finishing line is not far. Firstly, like always, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Gently oil or coat the baking sheet with a non-stick spray. In a large saucepan filled with 1.5 cups of water, cook the quinoa and stir in Italian seasoning. Flavour the chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, follow a four-step process of grooving the chicken into flour, dipping it into the eggs, further grooving it in the quinoa blend and pressing to coat. Adjusted on the baking sheet, place the chicken into the oven for 20-25 minutes till it turns golden brown. Garnish it with cheese and marinara, and further bake it for 5 more minutes, allowing the cheese to melt. For the final touch, season this piquant appetizer with basil, and just go for it; enjoying the fruits of your creation.