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.)

Some of My Favorite Low Glycemic Items

Dreamfields Pasta - it actually says its low GI on the box
Agave Nectar  - low GI sweetner
Stevia or Truvia - low GI sweetener. Stay away from Sweet n Low, or Equal, or Nutrasweet
Low Fat Greek Yogurt - it's better if you get the plain vs. the flavored ones b.c. it has less sugar, but you can add Agave Nectar to it to sweeten it. Add berries, bananas, or any fruit to add flavor. It's really rich and creamy
Lara Bars - you will find only all natural ingredients in these bars, and they are sweetened with fruit
Transitions Chocolate or Vanilla Shake Transitions Shake - these are what I use for my weight loss clients, but anyone who wants a healthy treat can enjoy these! They have 2 grams of sugar, 18 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. We blend them with milk and add berries, or bananas, and ground flax seed. They are really thick and creamy and are great for breakfast or an afternoon snack, minus the nasty taste that some weight loss shakes have

Sprouted Grain Bread - this bread tastes delicious. The grains are not finely milled like regular bread so it is low GI and won't spike your blood sugar
Kashi Go Lean Cereal (in a Red box) - 10 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, only 6 grams of sugar. I also use this to make trail mix. Just pour some of the cereal in a big bowl, add chopped walnuts and almonds and a small amount of dark chocolate chips. It's great for on-the-go.
Steel Cut Oats - these are much lower GI than rolled or quick oats. I put walnuts, ground flaxseed, berries, bananas, a little agave and cinnamon in it to make it tasty
Emerald Almonds that are dusted with Cocoa Powder - these are so good and taste really chocolately, but are very low sugar
Archer Farms Organic Blue Corn Chips with Flax Seed - you can only find these at Target, but they are so tasty!
Chrunchmaster Mulit-Grain Crackers in Sea Salt flavor (gluten free)
Kashi High Fiber Waffles - we like to put Smuckers all Natural, No Sugar Added Peanut Butter on these with bananas and blueberries. The fat from the peanut butter lowers the glycemic index of the meal.
Quinoa - it kind of tastes like couscous, but is a gluten- free grain and low gi
Long Grain Basmati Brown Rice

Benefits of eating Low GI

Click on the title for a great article written by an MD out of Madison, WI. She really knows her stuff and she talks about how eating Low GI can be so beneficial for health.

Have a healthy day,

Meaghan