Quin-whaaa?

Like many people, I was confused when quinoa started to make a serious surge in the past couple of years...mainly as to what it really WAS. It didn't look like rice, pasta, beans...what the heck is this stuff?! But branching out and trying some quinoa recipes has made me a quinoa believer.

Here are some (organic) quinoa facts:

gluten free

cholesterol free

whole grain

and it is packed full of protein which is a double bonus! 

Here's an awesome recipe that is simple, healthy, and tasty!

 Ingredients you'll need:
veggies! You can really use any that you like, as long as they will sautee well! I used tomato, asparagus, and bell peppers. If you'd like to include animal protein, I would suggest shrimp to go along with the stir fry theme.

 Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat, add about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil, and add your chopped veggies! If you're using tomato, I would suggest waiting a couple of minutes before adding it to the rest of the mix because it cooks much faster. I cooked everything for about 10 minutes, but just watch and see when the textures look right for your taste!
Then simply add the cooked veggies (and shrimp if you have it) to a cup of quinoa, and BOOM! You have a healthy, yummy meal in about 15 minutes!

I used organic "ready-to-eat" quinoa (pre-cooked), but if you buy it raw, it cooks just like rice!

I have also heard that you can cook it using broth instead of water to give it a little more flavor, but since I didn't cook mine, I can't attest to how well this works!

I hope you try it if you haven't before, and please let me know how you like it! I love discovering a new food that I've never tried before :) 

♥MK