“Our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners.” ~William Shakespeare
Red Rice and Quinoa
In my quest for healthier carbohydrates, I decided to try quinoa. I wish that I had done it sooner because it is delicious. I read that 2013 was the International Year of Quinoa, so that makes me somewhat late. This is when I must say, “better late than never.”
In a recent article, The Huffington Post listed some interesting little known facts about quinoa.
- First, quinoa is the seed of a plant related to spinach and beets.
- Second, this seed is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.
- Third, the quinoa seed should be rinsed before cooking to remove a slightly bitter coating.
- Finally, there are over 100 types of quinoa.
For this recipe, I used a blend of red, white and black quinoa.
This recipe comes from Yotam Ottolenghi, and it was created as a salad. I served it as a side dish so I did not top it with arugula. The orange juice and the dried apricots add a nice touch of sweetness to the nutty red rice and quinoa.
The recipe for the Red Rice and Quinoa with Orange and Pistachios is found on the Food and Wine website.