Friday, February 4, 2011

Mixed Grain and Quinoa with Zucchini

As we are going to eat less meat in the future I am trying to do more vegetarian recipes. Traditionally in Italy we use mostly pasta or rice, but I am trying to add more whole grains,  to our diet. My sister also introduced me to Quinoa and to the nutritional benefits of eating it. It seems like the perfect food to substitute meat, for its high protein and iron content:

 "this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.[4] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest." (Wikipedia)

Sometime ago I also bought a box of a  organic hot cereal with 4 grains plus flax but when I tried having it for breakfast I thought that, even adding fruit to it, it was way to gooey and tasteless for me. So today I decided to do something different with the vegetables we had in the fridge and the ones we bought at the farmers market.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Italian Zucchini
  • 3 baby carrots
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 box of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of golden raisins
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of Red Quinoa
  • 1/2 cup of 4 Grains plus flax hot cereal
  • Paprika
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons of grated caciocavallo cheese

RECIPE

- In 2 separate saucepans cook the Quinoa and the Mixed Cereals following the instructions
- Dice the carrots, the onion, the zucchini and the tomatoes.
- Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan and saute the carrots and the onion until the onion is golden
- Add the zucchini and the tomatoes and keep cooking, stirring every now and then, until the zucchini and the tomatoes are soft
- Add the spices and the raisins
- Mix the grains in with the vegetable mix, adding extra olive oil if necessary
- Add the grated cheese and serve warm

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