Quinoa with sauté vegetables

Sauté vegetables are ideas to prepare easy-to-make dishes and do not require much time to prepare them. We choose the vegetables that we have on hand and to taste.

On this occasion, I have used an  eggplant , a  carrot , half a  zucchini   I had it left over from the previous day and the Quinoa I had previously cooked; although it could be prepared at the same time, as I do on other occasions because while the quinoa is cooked, the vegetables are sautéed.             

>> See another recipe with the explanation

to prepare Quinoa

 

Dish preparation:

The Quinoa I have used is a mixture of three-colored grains:  cream ,  red  and  black . On other occasions, I use Quinoa of a single color; that is to say, the one I have at home at that moment.

In a skillet, we put  extra virgin olive oil  to heat; we cut the vegetables into small cubes because they are made quicker. When they are tender, we add Quinoa (previously cooked), stir and let sauté a few minutes over a low heat.

When serving (but this, if desired), squeeze a few drops of  lemon  to give a different touch to the dish. And like that, we have a combination of foods which provide us with a dish for lunchtime very complete nutritionally.

Wild asparagus and quinoa

A few days ago, a friend told me that she did not have much time to prepare vegetable meals and that, in addition, when one worked outside the home and had children, time was scarce to stop in the kitchen.

Well, it is a reality to which I cannot give a solution; it is up to the person to find that space and reorganize the times according to their priorities.

She also told me that frying an egg was something quick and very nutritious. Well, I certainly can give an answer to this:

On that same time, it is prepared this delicious combination of sauté asparagus accompanied by quinoa (three colors). And this is really a nutritionally very complete dish.

Preparation:

Firstly, it is put the quinoa (previously washed) in a saucepan and added two parts water to one part quinoa. We put the saucepan to heat and when the water comes to the boil, we add sea salt to taste; we reduce the heat and let simmer. The necessary time is approximately about 15 minutes until the water evaporates and the grain increases in volume.

Meanwhile, we wash and chop the asparagus. We put a little extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and put it on to heat. I have chosen as seasoning the mustard seeds, but this is to taste, which are added to the hot oil and when the seeds start to pop (to toast), we add the chopped asparagus.  Stirring, without lowering the heat and in a few minutes they are ready. We sprinkle a few grains of salt to taste on the asparagus and serve the dish.                   

                                       

>>  The colors of Quinoa: black, red and white

Quinoa: black, red and white

Quinoa was a sacred food for the Incas who considered it "the mother of all seeds”.

In 1996, Quinoa was classified by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), for its great beneficial properties for human nutrition, as one of the crops of the future of humanity.

And NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) included Quinoa, as a food in long-duration space travels, for its excellent nutritional composition.

Quinoa is cultivated in the Altiplano of the Andean countries, mainly of Bolivia and Peru, at more than 3,000 m above sea level.

On the one hand, Quinoa is a gluten-free pseudo-cereal that is prepared like rice (2 parts water per measure of grain), but in less time: cooking time is about 15 minutes.

When each grain of Quinoa has doubled its volume and releases its white germ, easy to appreciate with the black quinoa, with a fork, as with the Couscous, we separate the grains to be looser when serving.

And, on the other hand, Quinoa is a seed because all essential nutrients are inside the grain, unlike what happens with other grains such as rice, corn or wheat, where the essential nutrients are found in the husk, and hence the importance of consuming whole grain cereals.

Combinations with Quinua:

mushrooms accompained by Quinoa

 

vegetable cream soup with Quinoa

Mediterranean Savor: Cream soups with "colorful garnishes".

Small white beans

Green beans

Vegetables

Zucchini

Beetroot (Borsch cream)

Pumpkin (cream made as before)

Red beans