Quinoa is a great grain!

It is a source of protein (which is odd for a grain), and high in fibre.

I decided to come up with a recipe of my own which has a savory and sweet taste!

After searching multiple websites for recipes, seeing what foods went well with quinoa this is what I came up with…

Ingredient list:

• Quinoa – 1 cup ( I used half a cup of red quinoa and half a cup of regular)

• Beans and lentils – 1 cup ( see vegetarian chili recipe on instructions on soaking dry beans and lentils)

• Onion

• Garlic

• Spinach

• Sweet Pepper (yellow in my dish)

• Raisins

• Crushed Almonds

• Apple – sliced finely

• Lemon Juice

• Cinnamon

• Chili spice

• Gorgonzola cheese – add to each individual serving

Instructions:

• Boil 2 cups water. Add Quinoa to water, boil. Let cook until plump. Just like how you cook rice.

Quinoa Ready!

• Add 1 Tbsp of olive or canola oil to pan. Let onions and garlic simmer.

• Add beans lentils to onions and garlic.

• When well cooked add spinach and sweet peppers.

• Next add Quinoa one scoop at a time to beans, lentils and vegetables. Mix.
• Now add the seasonings : 1 tbsp Cinnamon, 1 tbsp Chili spice, Fresh lemon juice – a lot!
• Add raisins, sliced apples, crushed almonds and mix.

• Add crumbled Gorgonzola cheese to each individual serving.

Voila!! It is delicious!!

This dish is very high in Protein and Fibre.

This is from the Quinoa, Beans and Lentils. Full of nutrients from all ingredients especially the vegetables and fruit. No sodium. Low in fat – only contains healthy fat  (1 tbsp olive/canola oil added to pan, and the crushed almonds ).

A very healthy dish!

Beans!

Vegetarian Chili!

Fat Free! Low Sodium! High Protein! High Fibre! Full of Vitamins and Minerals!

Follows Cardiac and Diabetic Diet

Serving size 1 cup: approx. 22 g Protein! 20g Fibre! That’s Amazing!

Ingredients:

3 cups of Beans and Lentils of your choice. This dish has:

• Pinto beans
• Dark Red Kidney Beans
• Green lentils
• Black eyed beans

Vegetables of your choice:

• Tomatoes – at least 4 cups diced
• Peppers – Green, Red, Yellow
• Onions
• Garlic

Seasonings: Add to your taste. Here are some suggestions below, but there are many sodium free seasonings that you can add to chili.

• Chili powder 1-2 tbsp
• Garlic powder
• Basil
• Oregano
• Pepper

• Allow Dry  Beans and Lentils to soak in cold water for 12 hours over night. Add 3 cups of water for every cup of beans.
• Quick Soak Method: Add 3 cups of water for every cup of beans. Slowly bring to a boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hr.

• Discard water after soaking.

• Chop all of your vegetables as desired.
• Note: You can used canned ingredients for this recipe, however the recipe will no longer be a No Salt added recipe.

• First allow your onions and garlic to simmer in a small amount of oil as it lightly browns.
• Then add in your vegetables and beans + lentils.
• Also add your seasonings as desired.

• Bring to a slow boil until beans are soft and vegetables look cooked. Approx 30min.
• You may want to add more seasoning as desired!

•  Voila!

This recipe makes a HUGE batch. You will have extra. This is a great dish to freeze and eat on those nights that you just don’t feel like cooking.

Note: If your body is not used to this amount of fibre watch the serving size, and drink lots of water! hehe

BE HEALTHY. FEEL GOOD.
It’s not about getting skinny, its about being healthy.

I have created my blog to inspire others to take care of themselves in several ways. Taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do so don’t wait to change unhealthy habits! Leave me a message if you have any questions or want tips. I’d love to help! 🙂

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March 21st is National Dietitians Day!

This day is dedicated to all dietitians across Canada. It celebrates dietitians as health care professionals, committed to using their specialized knowledge and skills in food and nutrition to improve the health of Canadians.

It reminds us that dietitians are the smart choice for advice on proper eating, good nutrition and healthy living.

Source: Go to Dietitians.ca for more information.

www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/National-Dietitians-Day-2012.aspx