A foodie's quest to turn up the heat through strength and conditioning with whole food and a hungry mind.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

#10 WIAW Quantum of Quinoa

Homemade Toasted Quinoa Cereal
Quinoa has been in most of my latest blog posts one way or another and feel like I could keep going for a while.  It's ability to cook in various liquids for something sweet, spicy, savory, or a mix of all three is very appealing.

From homemade quinoa cereal, to cool quinoa curry salad, to no-bake quinoa almond cookies, and of course one pot Mexican quinoa and black beans, I just flat out like the stuff. I still want to try a baked quinoa casserole and quinoa pudding; stay tuned.

But why not?  It's not like I'm infatuated with some unhealthy crap at a fast food chain or from a cellophane wrapped package.  It's quinoa, "keen"....and...."wah"....so good, so nutritious, so easy to cook.  Have you used or tried it yet?  If not, pick some up and use one of my easy and healthy recipes for starters; you'll be hooked.

Although I shouldn't be, I'm bothered by how many people still have no clue what quinoa (and many other good for you foods) is. I say the word at work and receive a lot of blank, confused stares. It doesn't help that I'm the only guy who requested to have a standing desk and who eats a breakfast of dehydrated okra with a small dish of spicy veggies and celery stick "utensils."

Whatev....if being healthy is weird, then put a crown on my head and call me King of weird.  Now, let's see What I Ate Wednesday...


Happy WIAW, Everyone!!

Breakfast – Cold sprouted quinoa cooked in coconut milk; baby bok choy; celery; dehydrated heirloom tomato slices; French Press coffee with nutmeg and vanilla extract



Snack – Handful of roasted pumpkin seeds and two bags of black tea with stevia

Lunch – Grass-fed sirloin and veggie stew on top of an organic Jersey sweet potato; organic green apple; whole wheat pretzel; celery; 2 PB Pumpkin Protein Cookies; green tea with stevia


Snack –Green tea mixed with an herbal peppermint tea; great for after eating!

Dinner – Leftover cold quinoa and veggie salad with steamed Brussels sprouts on the side; my usual squash and fruit puree with vanilla whey protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, and stevia; crunchy toasted quinoa cereal with cashews; 0% plain Chobani Greek yogurt; homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dip (recipe will come soon) spread on rice cakes…plus a little more right from the spoon!


I didn't have this, but it's Kelley's favorite meal she has about twice a week.  Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells mixed with green onions, red pepper flakes (awesome!), and creamy goat cheese mixed in.  It smells so good every time she makes it!


Ok, you could say I've gone a little quinoa crazy, but its versatility as a super healthy treat or savory meal is hard to pass up.

Q: Do you ever feel like you have been stuck in a food rut with a certain ingredient? How did you bust out of it, or are you still in it now?

I wouldn't call my quinoa dishes being "stuck in a rut"...at least not yet; you just can't beat those translucent pearls of complete protein.  Oh well...way better than any fast food!

12 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Fran, they are both very good meals! I sometimes sneak a bite of Kelley's when I can; the goat cheese really makes the meal!

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  2. Dehydrated tomatoes look interesting. Never had them dehydrated.

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    1. Yes, this was my first time to try them too; I just had extra space on my dehydrator so I decided to slice one up. I really enjoy them and think I'll do it again soon.

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  3. Happy WIAW! Everything looks great!

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    1. Thank you and Happy WIAW to you too!! Hope you come by again!

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  4. I love quinoa! There are so many ways to make it that it is hard to get in a "true" rut. I'll have a banana and nut quinoa breakfast bowl and then make quinoa Mediterranean salad for dinner. Keep on making quinoa! And where do you find dehydrated okra?

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    1. Agreed...I don't really feel like I'm in a "true" rut anyway. Quinoa will be in my diet for a while......and I'm ok with that!
      I'm not sure where dehydrated okra would be sold, but I just buy frozen, whole okra, thaw it out and put it in my dehydrator. Here's a past WIAW post with a picture. http://justaddcayenne.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-i-ate-wednesday-5-easy-and-healthy.html

      Thanks for the comments and hope you come back to read again!

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  5. Quinoa is the best. Have you had quinoa flakes? I love those. I pretty much live in food ruts but every so often the food changes ;)

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    1. I've seen quinoa flakes (Ancient Harvest brand?) but have never tried them. Are they mostly a breakfast thing or can you do more with them?

      Sometimes ruts are a good thing....right?

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  6. Happy WIAW! Hope you are having a great week so far! :)
    Yum, I love quinoa! I actually started eating it this year. Before that, I never even knew what it was. Now, it's one of my favorite whole grains. That homemade toasted quinoa cereal sound so good!

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    1. Hey Shannon, sorry for the late reply; the week was great! I'm glad you found quinoa, it's a staple in our house now. I made a huge batch to use as cereal this week and let you know how it turns out. Have a gret week!

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