First let me just say that I met Carla in person at a recent Fitness Magazine event in New York City; and saying that her passion and energy are remarkable would be an understatement. I blog over at www.Kodjoworkout.com, and similar to Carla, one of my passions is to spread as much knowledge as possible, on health and fitness issues, including healthy eating. So that brings us to the topic du jour, where I’m introducing a delicious quinoa recipe. Hope you enjoy the post, and would love to hear your much anticipated feedback!

As the video above revealed, I was not familiar with quinoa until we shot this segment, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t know anything about quinoa either. In any event, I’m very happy to report that since we shot this video, quinoa has found a full-time home in my kitchen cabinets, and for good reason! So let’s see why we should all take a better look at this delectable seed called quinoa.

Quinoa

Most people believe quinoa is a whole grain, however it is a seed. Short of a better analogy, it is an organic gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain. For those who are looking to jump ships from white rice to something much healthier, you should get more quinoa in your diet. Just to give you a sense of what it feels like when fully prepared, quinoa has a fluffy and creamy appearance, and a crunchy taste.

 

When your schedule involves running around running around all day, quinoa should make it a little less painless in the kitchen, as it is relatively quick to cook (about 15 minutes). The benefits of quinoa do not stop there. This seed contains a large amount of protein (12-15%) and is a source of all 9 essential amino acids. It also contains a healthy amount of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, fiber, copper and folate.

What are some of the health benefits of Quinoa?

There is no denying that quinoa is a tasty delight; what makes it even more valuable is the plethora of health benefits it carries; below are just a few:

Quinoa repairs tissues: Thanks to its content of lysine (an amino acid), quinoa helps grow and repair tissues in your body.

Quinoa eases migraine: Migraine is no fun; but what’s even worse are the chemical-loaded, commercial medications used to attempt to ease it. A much healthier way to get rid of your migraine is to switch to a quinoa-rich diet. Thru its content of magnesium quinoa helps relax blood vessels, which in turn eases the pressure from the migraine.

Quinoa makes the heart healthier: When your diet is low in magnesium, your risk of developing heart disease increases significantly. As mentioned above, quinoa provides magnesium to your cells, helping expand the blood vessels, allowing an adequate amount of blood to be channeled to the heart.

Quinoa prevents cell oxidation: Because quinoa is rich in manganese, it slows considerably our cells propensity to oxidize. Cell oxidation causes major degenerative diseases and is the leading source of aging.

Quinoa helps strengthen your bone: Vegans and lactose-intolerant people will certainly appreciate this; quinoa contains calcium, which builds and maintains bones and teeth.

Preparing the Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh is a delicious recipe that can be served solo, with pita bread, or even as a side dish. If you want all of its flavors to soak in before you eat the quinoa tabbouleh, you may leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.

Ingredients Needed
The below should be able to feed four to six people

-One cup of dry quinoa
-Two cloves garlic
-1/2 red onion
-Two medium tomatoes
-Two cups of parsley
-Mint (about 1/2 cup)
-Eight ounces of feta cheese
-1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
-Two tablespoons of lemon juice
-Extra lemon juice to taste
-Salt to taste

Cooking direction

Make sure to properly rinse your quinoa. Boil 2 cups of water in add the quinoa along with half a teaspoon of salt. Cover it up and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. You know it’s done when the quinoa appears fluffy.

Then dice two medium tomatoes into small pieces (remove the seeds). Also mince in the garlic, mint and parsley finely. In the meantime, dice up half an onion in a bowl of water with salt and set aside.

Remove the cooked quinoa from the pot and let it sit at room temperature. Once it cools down, add some lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of salt to taste. Also add the parsley, onions, tomatoes mint and garlic and stir the mixture. Spread some feta cheese on top and gently stir again.

That’s it! Your quinoa tabbouleh recipe is officially completed! Congrats 😉

Dinner is ready:

Come join me for dinner for this delicious quinoa tabbouleh, served with Chicken Marbella…Better hurry up because I might just eat it all 😉

About the author: Kodjo is a fitness enthusiast turned health blogger. When he is not tweeting or blogging about home workout and healthy eating, he is likely eating healthy and working out at home. His wish is to contribute as much as possible, to the fight against obesity in America. He recently developed a four-week home workout program to help people exercise in the comfort of their home. Kodjo has more than a hundred thousand loyal Twitter Followers at Kodjoworkout.