Try This Recipe for Quinoa

If you are making an effort to eat healthy, one food that you will certainly want to give a try is quinoa. It is a great food for everyone, but vegans and vegetarians will especially want to give it a try. Here I am going to share with you a bit about the health benefits of cooking quinoa, and then I am going to share one of my favorite quinoa recipes with you. This curried red beans and quinoa dish will serve four and is a dish your family is sure to be asking for time and again.

Quinoa Nutrition Facts

If you are new to quinoa, you will be happy to know that it is loaded with both protein and fiber. Another added benefit is that it is high in magnesium, which may lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. Copper and manganese are two mineral antioxidants found in quinoa that may help you to fight diseases such as cancer. A one cup serving of cooked quinoa has 220 calories and provides 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

What makes this dish even better is that red beans are also extremely nutritious. We all know that we need to eat more fiber and red beans are an excellent source. Fiber can help prevent consitipation and heart disease and aids to control cholesterol levels. If you are pregnant, you will definitely want to add red beans to your diet. The high fiber helps to deliver oxygen rich blood to your organs and muscles.

To get started with this dish, you will want to have two cups of cooked quinoa, 28 ounces of red kidney beans, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a diced onion, two cloves of garlic, fresh chopped spinach, and ½ cup diced carrots. For seasoning you will want to add in a teaspoon of curry powder, ¼ teaspoon of cumin, ½ tsp salt and ¼ teaspoon of minced jalapeno peppers. You will want to add pepper according to your own taste.

Use a medium sized pot to sauté the carrots and onions in the oil for about 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Next you will add in the curry powder, kidney beans, jalapeno cumin and salt. Stir until completely warm and ready to serve.

Place equal amounts of warm quinoa on four plates and top with the curried kidney bean mixture. One thing to keep in mind is that if you do not wish to use red beans, you can always try this dish with black beans. Black bean recipes offer all the same health benefits as red beans so feel free to experiment as you like!


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To learn more about quinoa nutritional facts or to find a black bean recipe that you are sure to love, please visit me on the web.