ZuQuinoa Boats

So I said on my home page there would be no fancy photos of well-plated health foods — and I feel like I am still sticking to that statement.

A) I don’t know how to take fancy photos. As long as the subject is within the square of my phone screen, I take it. (But if anyone wants to give me pointers on how to improve my photography skills with an iPhone, I’ll take them!)

B) While this is definitely healthy, it is certainly not well-plated. I’m quite certain you should not serve food with part of it hanging off the edge. Plus, do you see the chipped plate? Bah! Just keeping it real!

Anyway, introducing ZuQuinoa Boats…

A delicious and filling meat-free dinner.

Quinoa. It’s one of those words that you may have seen in a cooking magazine and heard on the Food Network, but took awhile to realize they were the same thing.

Like the word hors d’oeuvres for me. I’d seen the word in books, but I never knew what “horse de overs” were. And, I’d heard the word “orderves” but it took me a long time to realize that’s how it was spelled. Oy.

Quinoa was the same way. Keen-wah. Not Quee-noah. I think people are finally starting to recognize it. (Or maybe today’s the day you put it all together).

The Bud Light commercial has done its part in increasing people’s recognition of the item, but unfortunately, it’s displayed with a negative connotation. Believe me, it doesn’t taste “like a dirty old tree branch.”

Quinoa is more like a nutty-flavored rice to me. But interestingly, it’s technically not even a grain. It comes from the same botanical family as beets, spinach, and chard. The reddish-purple stalks grow 3-9 feet tall and produce these super healthy seed heads.

This gluten-free food is one of the very few plant sources considered to be a “complete protein” (meaning it contains all 9 of the “essential” amino acids (the ones that the body can’t produce on its own). It’s high in fiber, low in carbohydrates, and full of potassium, which can help control blood pressure.

{And, the plant can grow on as little as 3 inches of rain per year in poor soil without fertilizers or irrigation! It’s been called a “super crop” by the United Nations!)

Are you convinced to buy quinoa on your next shopping trip? (It’s unfortunately not going to be your cheapest steal at the grocery store, but the increased nutrition is worth it in my opinion.) I can usually find it in the rice section on the top shelf – I guess it hasn’t earned eye-level status yet.

Another bonus? It’s simple to cook. I just add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups boiling water. Cover, simmer, and then fluff when the water has absorbed (about 10-15 minutes). Amazing!

There are obviously a ton of other recipes out there… I pinned these Quinoa Pizza Bites awhile back and can’t wait to try them. (Check out more of my food/recipe and all other pins here too. )

But seriously, it’s so simple. Throw together whatever beans/meat, veggies, seasonings, etc. sound good and you’ve got yourself a quinoa creation.

This one in particular was sautéed mushrooms, red beans, and tomatoes served up in a zucchini shell. Fantastic!

And fun – because then you get to make up your own words – like ZuQuinoa – and really confuse people. 🙂

Share your experiences with quinoa in the comments below. If you haven’t had it before, what’s holding you back?