Quinoa Bulk Products

Meat-free days?

admin — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:40:47 +0000

There’s an article in The Guardian today encouraging people to abstain from meat one day a week to reduce global warming. According to the article:

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.

Since I made quinoa an important part of my diet I have had meat-free days. One cup of quinoa (dry) represents nearly 1/3 of the recommended daily protein intake for a male over 24 years of age.

Three or four mornings per week I eat 1/2 cup of quinoa in the morning with honey and blueberries, and then I peel an orange and drink a glass of Lakewood Organic Super-Veggie. Other days I just make bacon and eggs.

And quinoa is so versatile that for dinner you can use it as the base for a pilaf or eat it alone as a late-night snack. So if you want to adopt meat-free abstinence on one or more days per week - for whatever reason - quinoa might be a good way to make up for the protein loss.

Quinoa in Vegetable Broth

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:14:42 +0000

I tried something new tonight - I cooked quinoa in vegetable broth. Near the end I mixed in Earth Balance’s “Natural Buttery Spread” product, which I’ve found to be an excellent substitute for butter in dairy-free cooking. The result had a flavor a bit like sweet potatoes and a bit like carrots, but of course with quinoa’s nutritional advantage over most starch vegetables.

The broth I employed for the task was Pacific Natural Foods’ “Organic Vegetable Broth“, which comes in convenient 8 ounce containers. When cooking was done, there was a residue of vegetable paste on the top of the quinoa. I added about a teaspoon full of the “Natural Buttery Spread” and mixed the contents of the saucepan.

I ate the quinoa with rockfish and broccoli. All in all, a very satisfying meal. And though I still prefer quinoa prepared with chicken broth, those of you who are vegetarians should find this combination very satisfying.

Quinoa for Breakfast

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:38:04 +0000

I tried ‘Inca Red’ quinoa for breakfast this morning - I normally use standard white quinoa - and liked it a lot. The Inca Red has more texture, so it was a bit like eating Grape Nuts.

Here’s how I make it.
Ingredients

1/2 cup Inca Red quinoa
1 cup water
One tablespoon honey
One Dozen blueberries

I put 1/2 cup of quinoa in a 1-qt saucepan, along with one cup of water, and bring it to boil. Then I reduce to low heat and simmer for 13 minutes. After removing the quinoa from the saucepan, I mix in a tablespoon of honey and then add the blueberries.