I went to a meditation seminar over the weekend for cancer patients, their carers and health professionals treating them. Some part of the 2 day course was spent on food and diet. (Thank goodness.) The advice was to eat a plant based diet and include fish - aquatarian or vegequarian as it is sometimes referred. I was happy to hear this because it's true, this is a healthy way to eat. Either for prevention or cure. It doesn't mean you need to eiminate meat and cheese altogether if you don't want to, you merely limit them.

When you're not eating animal products, it's important you add food to your diet with the nutrients you're not getting from meat and dairy. Quinoa is one of these foods. 

So, I thought this would be a good chance to chat about this wonderful under-used seed. Those of you who follow me and my food, know that I am a big fan of quinoa. (The pronunciation is tricky. Here is Oz we have got used to calling it keen-wa, where is South America they pronounce it keen-o-a.)

This gluten free little nutrient ball is the seed from a herb, not a grain. It contains no gluten and is packed with essential nutrients like protein, calcium, iron, essential fatty acids and fibre. It is known as 'The Mother Grain' in its native country and here it's fast becoming known as 'The Super Grain'. It's a little like cous cous but much lighter and easier to digest. The grain is also made into milk, flakes, flour, pasta and noodles.

On 'Good Chef Bad Chef' last week I used quinoa soba noodles. Soba are the thinner variety of Japanese noodles and udon the thicker. I love both. Sometimes they come with a little wheat flour, but they seem to digest well. (I have them in my STORE if you're having trouble finding them, along with quinoa grains.) 

It's a good idea to avoid most grains at night, as they will give you energy  and energy needs to be used otherwise it stores as fat. Grains like white rice and wheat especially. This is really hard for lots of us as we're so used to eating pasta, rice, noodles or bread with dinner. It is hard in the beginning I know, but you will soon get used to it, especially when you start feeling so amazing in the morning, and your bowels are happy, and you can now fit back into those pants that have been staring longingly at you from the darkness of the closet.

You'll find white quinoa the easiest to find, but you can get a red or black variety (above) or tri coloured. I use the white variety in the warmer months and the others in the cooler seasons. Just replace your rice or wheat pasta with quinoa, quinoa noodles or pasta. Cook it using the absorption method and serve it with stir fry's, curry's, in a salad or with miso soup. 

Once you start eating quinoa there'll be no going back to highly processed and sugary refined carbohydrates. 

Btw, there is a recipe on the RECIPE page. It's for Tabouli using quinoa instead of cracked wheat. It's one of my staples. 

Til next week...