It was upon reading a frankly hilarious article about Middle Class Chat Up Lines that the idea of this blog post came to be! It included lines such as 'You had me at halloumi' and 'Your place, your other place or mine?' But it was the following that really spoke to me and made me realise that this blog post had to be written!
You ready for it???
Drum Roll Please....
'Girl you must be quinoa because I've got no bloody clue what to do with you!'
BAM! AMAZING!
Whoever wrote this is pure genius and yes if someone tried to chat me up with that line I'd probably say yes (sorry mum!)
So I have decided to educate the author of this cheesy, yet brilliant line as well as many others who haven't the faintest idea of what quinoa is and how to use it as I am the self-titled Queen of Quinoa (you're jealous, I know)
Now that we've determined that I am fully quinoafied (hehehe) to write this post let me give you the low down on this ancient grain...
Officially pronounced keen-wah but don't worry if you've been saying it wrong up until this point, I won't judge you! If we are being honest here I was adamant it was pronounced kin-o-a at the beginning of my addiction but just like you, I was set straight!
Dairy-free, gluten-free and a whopping 8g of protein per serving makes this the perfect alternative to rice/pasta/potatoes as its just a filling and satisfying as well as being packed full of good stuff! Wooh! The humble seed (not a grain but is classified as a wholegrain, confusing I know!) was known as the 'Mother of all Grains' by the Inca Empire (they clearly didnt realise its actually a SEED, jheez) and 2013 was named 'The Year of Quinoa' by the UN. Even NASA want to try to grow it in space because it is so easy to grow whilst also being nutritionally dense! Snaps for Quinoa!
There are three main types of quinoa; red, white and black. White quinoa is the most mainstream, being sold in most supermarkets in the UK aswell as the US. I like to have a blend of quinoa as they have different textures and the colours make the dish more appetising (as previously established I am very strange and overthink things such as the varieties of quinoa).
So what does one do with quinoa you ask? EVERYTHING!!!
Honestly it is just soooo versatile!!!
Want to make your salad more filling? Add some quinoa
In the mood for risotto but want something lighter? Switch out the rice for quinoa
You can even make quinoa porridge for breakfast! (This sounds kinda gross to me but try it out!)
If you look through my insta feed (you should be following it by now! If you're not then SHAME ON YOU but ill forgive you if you go follow right now!! @justahangrygirl) its full of quinoa inspo!! But incase you need more of a reason to become obsessed with quinoa here is a recipe for a lighter version of Chicken Parmesan. This uses quinoa pops (can be purchased from amazon or wholefoods/any other store like it) which are like a puffed up version of quinoa, slightly strange but make a perfect alternative to breadcrumbs. I served mine with creamy polenta but feel free to switch it out for chips, pasta or even a salad if you wanna be extra healthy (BORING!!!). I made my polenta by combining instant polenta with chicken stock, whisking until cooked and creamy. I then added a teaspoon of butter and a handful of parmesan! Was such a comforting meal!! Here's the chicken recipe:
Chicken Parmesan for 2 people:
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, pounded with a rolling pin until even and thin
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg, whisked
2 cups of quinoa puffs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
4 tablespoons marinara sauce or passata
150g fresh mozzarella (fresh is definitely best!!)
Handful of basil, roughly chopped
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. In a bowl combine the quinoa puffs and the parmesan. Coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then the quinoa puff/parmesan mix until the chicken breast is evenly coated. Place on a tray and put in the oven for 20-30 mins until cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over halfway. Once cooked, spread the sauce over the top of the chicken, top with mozzarella and place back in the oven until the cheese is melted and slightly golden. Top with fresh basil!!
You ready for it???
Drum Roll Please....
'Girl you must be quinoa because I've got no bloody clue what to do with you!'
BAM! AMAZING!
Whoever wrote this is pure genius and yes if someone tried to chat me up with that line I'd probably say yes (sorry mum!)
So I have decided to educate the author of this cheesy, yet brilliant line as well as many others who haven't the faintest idea of what quinoa is and how to use it as I am the self-titled Queen of Quinoa (you're jealous, I know)
Now that we've determined that I am fully quinoafied (hehehe) to write this post let me give you the low down on this ancient grain...
Officially pronounced keen-wah but don't worry if you've been saying it wrong up until this point, I won't judge you! If we are being honest here I was adamant it was pronounced kin-o-a at the beginning of my addiction but just like you, I was set straight!
Dairy-free, gluten-free and a whopping 8g of protein per serving makes this the perfect alternative to rice/pasta/potatoes as its just a filling and satisfying as well as being packed full of good stuff! Wooh! The humble seed (not a grain but is classified as a wholegrain, confusing I know!) was known as the 'Mother of all Grains' by the Inca Empire (they clearly didnt realise its actually a SEED, jheez) and 2013 was named 'The Year of Quinoa' by the UN. Even NASA want to try to grow it in space because it is so easy to grow whilst also being nutritionally dense! Snaps for Quinoa!
There are three main types of quinoa; red, white and black. White quinoa is the most mainstream, being sold in most supermarkets in the UK aswell as the US. I like to have a blend of quinoa as they have different textures and the colours make the dish more appetising (as previously established I am very strange and overthink things such as the varieties of quinoa).
So what does one do with quinoa you ask? EVERYTHING!!!
Honestly it is just soooo versatile!!!
Want to make your salad more filling? Add some quinoa
In the mood for risotto but want something lighter? Switch out the rice for quinoa
You can even make quinoa porridge for breakfast! (This sounds kinda gross to me but try it out!)
If you look through my insta feed (you should be following it by now! If you're not then SHAME ON YOU but ill forgive you if you go follow right now!! @justahangrygirl) its full of quinoa inspo!! But incase you need more of a reason to become obsessed with quinoa here is a recipe for a lighter version of Chicken Parmesan. This uses quinoa pops (can be purchased from amazon or wholefoods/any other store like it) which are like a puffed up version of quinoa, slightly strange but make a perfect alternative to breadcrumbs. I served mine with creamy polenta but feel free to switch it out for chips, pasta or even a salad if you wanna be extra healthy (BORING!!!). I made my polenta by combining instant polenta with chicken stock, whisking until cooked and creamy. I then added a teaspoon of butter and a handful of parmesan! Was such a comforting meal!! Here's the chicken recipe:
Chicken Parmesan for 2 people:
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, pounded with a rolling pin until even and thin
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg, whisked
2 cups of quinoa puffs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
4 tablespoons marinara sauce or passata
150g fresh mozzarella (fresh is definitely best!!)
Handful of basil, roughly chopped
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. In a bowl combine the quinoa puffs and the parmesan. Coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then the quinoa puff/parmesan mix until the chicken breast is evenly coated. Place on a tray and put in the oven for 20-30 mins until cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over halfway. Once cooked, spread the sauce over the top of the chicken, top with mozzarella and place back in the oven until the cheese is melted and slightly golden. Top with fresh basil!!