Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Best Friend…

There are a lot of really great foods that came into my life two years ago when I gave up gluten and animal products. And I do mean a lot. One of my favorites, though, is absolutely, hands down QUINOA.

Quinoa is incredibly good for you. It's high in protein (it's actually a complete protein!), fiber, and low in fat. It also happens to very easy to make and super versatile. No kidding, I seriously eat it about four times a week.

But how to cook it?

When it is cooked plain, it's less than delightful, but if you know what you're doing, it quickly becomes a staple food item! 

Here are my two favorite ways to prepare it:

1) This is so easy, it's hardly a recipe: 

1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)

1 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1/2 tsp vegetable bouillon (omit if using broth)

~ 1/2  tbs oil (your choice!)

~ 1/4 onion, chopped (or more or less to taste) :) 

a few mushrooms (optional)

In a small/medium sized pot (with lid), heat oil over medium heat. Add in onion and mushroom (if you're using any) and sauté for a a few minutes. Then, add in the uncooked quinoa and stir it all together. Continue sautéing for a couple more minutes. Add in the water and bring to boil. Add in the bouillon. Stir. Turn to low, cover, and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the water has absorbed. (You want a tiny amount of water dotted around the bottom of the pan, ideally.) Leave the lid on for about five more minutes, then serve! This is a great, simple way to make quinoa for most meals. It's a great addition to a meal full of veggies of any kind, cooked any way. 

(Serves about 2)

2) This is another non-recipe that is entirely customizable to your own preferences. Personally, I am obsessed with Mexican food, which is how this particular way of cooking quinoa came to be.

1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
~ 1 tsp of your favorite salsa seasoning packet
1 cup water

Add all ingredients into pot and bring to boil. Then lower heat to simmer and cover with a lid, for about 15 minutes, until water has absorbed. Then, remove from heat and keep covered for about 5 minutes before adding to your favorite Mexican dish.

This is really great for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, and burritos! Use with black beans, onion, and lettuce. Viola! A fancy meal!

These are some of my favorite tacos! They have the Mexican quinoa, seasoned black beans, caramelized onions, lettuce, and some taco seasoning. Seriously, quinoa is so easy and scrumptious! You are sure to love it!

Happy quinoa cooking!

Obsession: Roasted Chickpeas

Confession: I have a slightly obsessive personality. And by "slightly", I of course, mean insanely.

This personality flaw fact is especially bad when it comes to food. It's a definite problem. I tend to find a random food that I love. I obsess over it and eat it constantly until the very thought of it makes me nauseous. You can see why that may be a problem, right?

That said, though, I get to know the ins and outs of those foods pretty darn well.

Enter roasted chickpeas.

Wow. They are good. They are absolutely my latest food obsession. I make them a lot.

They are nice and crunchy, a perfect alternative to popcorn or nuts. They are low in fat on their own. High in protein (one can has roughly 20 grams--and that's how much I eat...). High in flavor. And easy to make. Really. Perfect snack food? Absofreakinglutely.

You can find hundreds of recipes online. You can make them sweet, spicy, salty, or a combination of all of those. Try them all.

Here is the one I loosely follow, via This Chick Cooks.

One piece of advice: drain and rinse the chickpeas very well. Then towel dry them. Then lay them flat upon a couple paper towels to get nice and dry.  I typically allow them to dry for about an hour. 

Drying.

Ready to be devoured. And oh, they always are!

What are some things you obsess over?