The Golden grain

Quinoa, the sacred plant of the Incas and the mother of all seeds, can be found in all food servings including desserts. This grain is the key for a healthy diet and a tasty recipe. 

     The benefits 

Nutritive and gluten free, quinoa constitutes the perfect healthy addition to your daily servings. This seed contains an important amount of proteins in comparison to other grains such as rice or corn... Rich in fibres, studies have found that Quinoa is essential for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. It regulates glucose, cholesterol, and insulin and helps maintain the right functioning of your intestine. Did you know that foods rich in fibres can help prevent colon cancer? 

Vegetarian Burger  

For four people 

Preparation: easy 

Time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: around 15 minutes  

Ingredients:  

-A handful of fresh spinaches (50g) 

-150g of Quinoa 

-2 carrots 

-1 eggplant 

-50g of boiled chickpeas 

-1 red onion 

-2 garlic cloves 

-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

-40g of rice flour 

-salt and pepper  

-Preparation: 

Grill the eggplant, peel it and then mash it. Wash carefully the handful of fresh spinaches before you chop them. When you finish, rinse the quinoa seeds and add them in a casserole containing 25 cl of water and let it boil until the seeds are well cooked (around 10 minutes) and add salt and pepper. Grate the carrots and crush the chickpeas. Chop the onions in small cuts along the cloves of garlic. Mix the purée of the ingredients with the rice flour in a meat like shape but don't forget to moisten your hands so the dough won't stick. In a separate pan, heat the oil and add the onions and garlics a few minutes later. In 5 minutes you can put the dough in the pan in order to cook it.  

-Pro tip: add chopped cashews and sesame seeds to the dough and prepare a guacamole on the side. 

Butternut squash stuffed with Quinoa 

For four people 

Preparation: Medium 

Time: 30 minutes 

Cooking time: 50 to 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squashes
• 200g of quinoa
• 200g of cooked chickpeas
• 1 big onion
• 1 handful of dried cranberry
• 1 pinch of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

-preparation:

Preheat the oven at 200°C. With a knife, cut the squashes in two pieces and place both sides on a gratin dish while adding a bit of water inside it. Season it with salt and pepper. Add a bit of oil on each half of the squash and put the dish in the oven for around 35 to 40 minutes. Don’t forget to keep checking on them in order not to let them dry. In case that happened, add a bit of water to the pot. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in a salted boiling water for ten minutes.  Drain the quinoas and put them in a separate bowl. Peel the onions and cut them finely and add them to a heated pan with olive oil in it. When done, put them aside. Once the butternut is cooked, scrap a little the coating to add the mix of quinoa. Generously stuff the butternut squashes and put the dish back in the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Once done, add the cranberries.

-Pro tip: before putting the final dish in the oven, add goat cheese to the mix.

Spring Eggs

For four people

Preparation: easy

Time: a few minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato
• 2 eggs
• 30g of quinoa
• 1 bell pepper
• 20g of mushrooms
• A few leaves of coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

-Preparations:

Boil the quinoas and drain them. Fry the two eggs using the vegetable oil. Cut the tomatoes, the bell pepper, and the mushrooms in small slices. Mix the whole and add it on the fried eggs. Put the plate in the oven for about 3 or 5 minutes. Once out, add sprinkles of salt, pepper, and parsley.

-Pro tip: cover the whole with fresh mozzarella cheese before you put the plate in the oven.

Healthy pudding

For four people

Preparation: easy

Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:

- 150g of oatmeal

- 150g of quinoa

- 500ml of liquid milk

- 5 bananas

- 1 handful of Chia seeds

-1 bar of dark chocolate (around 150g)

-Preparation:

Rinse the quinoas and crush only 4 bananas using a fork. Put the 4 bananas in a casserole filled with the milk, the quinoas and the oatmeal. Mix the whole and cook them on low heat for around 10 minutes. The porridge has to be creamy and not firm. Pour the whole in cups and decorate them with a few slices of banana and flakes of grated chocolate.

-Pro tip: how about a sweeter version? Add 2 teaspoons of cocoa to the mix!