If you haven’t discovered quinoa yet, it is time! This tasty seed cooks up like a grain, and is safe to introduce to babies starting around eight months of age. It is a wonderful source of nutrition for pregnant and nursing women, as it is very high in protein, as well as fiber, calcium, iron and folate.
Here is a recipe the entire family can enjoy!
Quinoa Pilaf
1 cup quinoa
1 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ of a medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
¼ of a green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ stick of celery, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
Heat the oil in a 2 quart saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and celery and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for one more minute, then add the cup of quinoa and mix it in. Raise the heat and stir the mixture, to "toast" the quinoa (this helps prevent it from getting mushy when cooked in liquid) for another minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil.Cover tightly and simmer on low for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.
Serve and enjoy!
This is great as a side dish, but is nutritious enough to be a meal in itself! I love the texture of quinoa: it has just a little bit of crunch from the seed hulls.
