On the weekend I ventured into an afternoon of vegetarian cooking. I decided to explore the newly acclaimed ‘superfood’ Quinoa and although I’m generally suspicious about so called superfoods, this little grain sparked my culinary curiosity.

Before I rush into the recipe, I thought I should provide our readers with a little background on the benefits of Quinoa, so here is a list of 10 things you may not know about this potent little seed…

1. Quinoa is a fluffy, creamy and slightly crunchy seed with a subtle nutty flavour that was discovered in South America.
2. It’s gluten free.
3. Quinoa contains all of the nine essential amino acids including Lysine. It’s high in protein and a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin B2, riboflavin, copper and fiber.
4. It’s a good idea to rinse Quinoa before using, in case there is any Saponin residue. 
5. Quinoa can come in a variety of colours including white, brown red and black. 
6. Quinoa is also sold puffed or rolled into flakes. Which make it an ideal breakfast cereal.
7. Quinoa is slow releasing carbohydrate, which means it satisfies you for longer.
8. It’s a seed even though you may think it’s a grain. 
9. Quinoa is a relative of spinach and Swiss chard. You can actually eat its leaves like you would spinach.
10. It’s believed to be beneficial for people suffering from migraines, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Studies in the UK of 35,972 participants have claimed that it can protect pre-menopausal women from breast cancer.

Quinoa fact Sources:

• The worlds healthiest foods
• Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Roasted cauliflower and feta cheese Quinoa Warm Salad

Ingredients

• Half a cauliflower, cut into florets
• 400g can of chickpeas, drained & rinse
• 2 garlic cloves
• 200g quinoa
• Juice & rind of a lemon
• 2tbs olive oil
• 1 cup of coarsely torn Italian parsley
• ½ cup of coarsely torn mint leaves
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 200g Organic Goat Feta cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220C. In a baking tray combine cauliflower, garlic, half the lemon rind and 1tbsp of oil, sprinkle with a little salt and bake for 15 minutes.

2. On another baking tray or dish spread out the chickpeas and combine them with the remaining lemon rind, 1 tbsp of oil and season to taste. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, rinse the Quinoa and add 380ml of salted water into a saucepan. Simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on until the water has been absorbed.

4. Now its time to bring all the ingredients together in a lovely, large salad bowl. Combine the parsley, mint, spring onion, lemon juice, cauliflower, chickpeas and quinoa. Season to taste and mix well. With your fingers crumble the feta cheese all through the ingredients.

The salad tastes best when served warm, however it still tastes delicious the next day.

Enjoy!


Additional ideas:

• If you don’t like cauliflower you can substitute it with roasted pumpkin or sweet potatoes.
• Goats cheese feta can be substituted with any feta cheese.