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Creative with Quinoa: 7 Ideas to Integrate This Protein-Packed Grain into Your Menus

The grain that abounds in the Andes region has become a favorite ingredient across US households. Here are some ways to get creative with it!
Healthy eating: Quinoa
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2017/04/13: Healthy eating: white quinoa seeds. Quinoa is the common name for Chenopodium quinoa, a flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a grain crop primarily for its edible seeds The food is inside a heart shape. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)Getty Images/ Roberto Machado Noa / LightRocket via Getty Images

The supergrain that abounds in the Andes region of Latin America has become a favorite ingredient across US households, so much so that 2013, when the trend took off, was proclaimed the "year of quinoa." The craze might have died down a notch, but now that it’s a more common ingredient in our kitchens people have gotten creative with its use.

Here are a couple of ideas on how to integrate this protein-packed grain into your daily meals.

Quinoa scrambles with avocado

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because making sure you get a satisfying meal before you head out of the house can be a difficult task to accomplish. Turns out you can toss in some quinoa for extra texture with your scrambles, top it off with avocado and tomato, and you’ll be so full you'll have to remind yourself to eat when lunch-time comes around!

Quinoa and black bean burgers

You don’t need to be a vegetarian to fall in love with these! Whether you use black beans or sweet potato as a binder, and maybe even chop up some mushrooms into the mix for depth of flavor, quinoa makes for an excellent textured patty you can enjoy all-year long.

Quinoa atamalada (Andean quinoa stew)

The traditional ingredients include, spicy aji amarillo and queso fresco cubes, to give it a completely original taste, which is very typical of regional stews in Peru. The trick is to cook the quinoa as if it were risotto, which gives it a creamy, or tamal-like consistency from where it garners its name. 

Milanesa de quinoa

Truth is, you can trade out any bread crusted dish and use quinoa to pack a super healthy crunch. From salmon, to shrimp bites, to the palomilla steaks used in the milanesa, all of these favorites can be transformed into a healthier dish with this trade off!

 

Quinoa stuffed red peppers

Like with the milanesa, quinoa is a great healthier substitute for rice when stuffing your favorite roasted vegetables. You can try tomates, poblano peppers, eggplant...the sky is the limit!

Dark chocolate quinoa truffles 

Turns out quinoa can also replace flour in almost all of your favorite dessert, like these dark chocolate quinoa truffles made with almond butter, honey and coconut oil. You can also make them with peanut butter and nutella!

Cranberry quinoa muffins

The grain makes for some great fluffy muffins without the negative qualities of the flour. Get creative and use all kinds of fruits or naturally sweet ingredients like pumpkin to have a healthy afternoon delight without the guilt.

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