The Best of Both Worlds

Hello All,

Doug must think we have been eating too many sweets and suguars because tomorrow he will be making us one of the most nutritional meals you can have. The best part is it as meal for both vegetarians, vegans, and can be altered for meat lovers. We will be having quinoa! Now if you anything like me, your probably thinking to yourself…what is that? I did a little research and it sounds like it should be both a delicious and nutritious meal!

What is Quinoa?!?

We usually think of quinoa as a grain, but it is actually the seed of a plant. These amino acid-rich seeds are not only very nutritious, but also very delicious. Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet slightly crunchy. They have a delicate, somewhat nutty flavor.

History

While relatively new to the United States, quinoa has been cultivated in the Andean mountain regions of Peru, Chile and Bolivia for over 5,000 years, and it has long been a staple food in the diets of the native Indians. The Incas considered it a sacred food and referred to it as the "mother seed."

Nutritional Value

Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

All the information above and much much more can be found on the website below:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Our Take on Quinoa

We will be making quinoa with bell peppers, onions, garlic, and to complete this perfect dish: goat cheese! For those of you who like to have a little meat with your meal we will be offering pork loin on the side.The pork loin should make an excellent contribution to the dish, if desired of course.

I hope this has made you excited for our meeting tomorrow. We will be meeting at 6:30pm.

Meat or Veggies?

Hello All,

It's a new month which means a new read! The author of The Butcher and the Vegetarian, Tara Austen Weaver, has a blog just like Molly. It is called Tea and Cookies (http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/). If you have time I would definitely check her blog out. We unfortunately, could not get Weaver to visit us so reading her blog along with the book will give you a good insight into her voice and personality. There is also ALOT ALOT of recipes to check out.

Let me know what you think of the book so far!