Cooking With Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is is grown in the Andes Mountains of South America and dates back for over 5,000 years. Quinoa is low GI and gluten free, and has a similar consistency to couscous. It has a good amount of protein, amino acids, essential minerals and fiber. Below is a recipe that I just got from my friend Jaclyn and it looks really good. Let me know if you have any tasty Quinoa recipes. Enjoy!

Ground Turkey and Quinoa Meatballs

Serves 6

Sneak whole grains and veggies into crowd-pleasing meatballs with this easy recipe that will stretch your food dollar, too. Serve with your favorite low GI pasta and marinara sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 4oz/113g-wt.): 150 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 75mg cholesterol, 470mg sodium, 8g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 17g protein

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound (95-percent) lean ground turkey

3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup grated zucchini
2 tablespoons organic ketchup
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil then grease with cooking spray; set aside.

To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in ½ cup quinoa, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside off of the heat for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

In a large bowl, mix together turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, carrots, zucchini, ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, salt, oregano, thyme and egg until well combined. Shape mixture into 16 balls and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

(Note: To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in ½ cup quinoa, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside off of the heat for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)