Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Creamy Almond, Raisin, and Red Banana Quinoa Breakfast

So...I am currently at work and unable to upload pictures, but I wanted to tell you about my AMAZING breakfast I brought to work! Last night I made a big pot of a grain called Quinoa. I was introduced to this grain by my friend, Jessica, although I think it is more of a pseudograin than a true grain. The "grain" part is technically a seed...and a VERY healthy healthy seed!  Quinoa was the primary crop of the Incas prior to their colonization, and they held it in very high regards....they considered it to be a "God" grain, and this emphasis on spirtuality and the food made their conquerors uncomfortable....so they made them start growing wheat and maize instead. :(  It is much much better than corn or wheat, since it has a very high protein count for a grain (18% protein!) and it contains a balanced set of amino acids for human consumption, unlike wheat, rice, or corn. It has a ton of magnesium, iron, and fiber too!
Quinoa is so nutritious and complete it is currently "being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights!" It is also gluten free. Many people have allergies to wheat gluten but very few symptoms other than general fatigue or muscle aches...some people even find they get dark circles under their eyes when they eat wheat.
Anyhow, last night I made a big pot of quinoa (it is easier to make than a pot of rice...super super easy) and put it in a container in the fridge. Quinoa is a real chameleon....you can literally make it into so many different dishes...but this AM I decided I wanted something soothing and sweet. I heated up my quinoa with almond milk, then added red bananas, raisins, almonds, and sweet dark agave nectar. It was great! Tommorrow I am going to mix my quinoa with cashew cream, fresh berries, and agave nectar. Yum.
Quinoa is very versatile though. Sometimes I mix it with lemon, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, and green onions or chives, or you can do grape tomatoes, olives, cucumber, lemon, olive oil and red wine vinegar. :)
Update: Here is the picture of the quinoa! :)

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