Recipe - Moroccan Quinoa Salad

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is apparently an ancient grain that has been rediscovered and found to be a super food, because it has a low glycemic index and is full of protein.  So immediately we were skeptical as to its taste. 

So after obsessing about it for a few days we bit the bullet and wondered where keeen-wah had been all our lives?  What a tasty little grain you are, keeen-wah!  Try this Moroccan Quinoa Salad, we guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Kind to the waist too, if you don't eat the lot ;-)

Ingredients - Salad

1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water 

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried)

1 1/2 cups canned black beans (from health food stores or you can substitute borlotti or kidney beans)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh is best but you can use canned or frozen)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander

Ingredients - Dressing

2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)

Method

Cook quinoa in chicken stock and water for around 12-15 minutes depending on the directions on the pack, it generally needs 3 times the amount of liquid to dry ingredient. Stir to ensure it doesn't stick to the saucepan.  

While quinoa is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, cumin, salt & sugar into a small bowl.

Combine cooked quinoa with remaining ingredients (except fresh herbs) into a medium sized bowl & refrigerate for an hour so the flavours combine.  Add fresh herbs just prior to serving.

The whole salad contains 1340 calories and will serve 5 people easily.  So that's around 258 calories per serve.  We served with a healthy green salad.

Bircher Muesli: the healthy version

I’ve been making this bircher muesli for a few years now and still love it.  In fact, anyone who tries it becomes instantly hooked.  As it’s made the night before with a lot less yoghurt than its traditional friend, its a super-quick & healthy breakfast.  If you're rushing to work, take it with you for a guilt-free desk-breakfast.  And because it contains strawberries & blueberries, its high in anti-oxidants.  Anti-wrinkle & cancer fighting. Yeah!

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural (untoasted) muesli (172 cals)
1 large apple, grated (106 cals)
1/2 tub low fat, fruit yoghurt (83 cals)
3 strawberries, diced (21 cals)
1/2 cup blueberries (39 cals)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice (27 cals)
2 dates, chopped (52 cals)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (negligible)
TOTAL cals (500)   

 Serves 2.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  It should be quite wet.  Cover with cling film overnight in the fridge.  Serve in a bowl the next morning. Dead easy!

TIPS: when berries aren’t in season experiment with other seasonal fruit, like cherries, nectarines, or mango in summer; pears in winter.  Anyone not watching their weight  can drizzle honey over the top to make it extra-special & add some extra fruit.  Enjoy!!