Quinoa, Coconut Oil, & Goji – The Perfect Combination
My motto for dinner – “Quick, Easy and Super Delicious!”
If you eat at my house you’ll learn that even though I LOVE to be in the kitchen and experiment with new recipes, when it comes to meal preparation, I like to make my meals fast!
And I always use whole, nutritional and delicious ingredients in all my meals.
This meal consists of a couple powerhouses when it comes to nutritional punches:
- Quinoa
- Coconut Oil
- Goji Berries
First of all, let me give you a little information on why these three ingredients are so good for your body. Then we’ll move onto the recipe.
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Quinoa
Quinoa is full of phytonutrients, antioxidants and can even help balance your blood sugar.
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy, slightly crunchy and subtly flavored. It actually cooks and tastes like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that are difficult to digest.
Some of the nutrients in quinoa include:
- Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.
- Magnesium. Helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and affects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient.
- Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber that eases elimination and tones your colon.
- Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances.
Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn. And that’s why I use quinoa in most of my meals!
Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?
All saturated fats are not created equal.
The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such asantimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.
Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price found South Pacific Islanders whose diets were high in coconut to be healthy and trim, despite high dietary fat, and heart disease was virtually non-existent.
The naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound health benefits, such as:
- Improving your heart health.
- Boosting your thyroid.
- Increasing your metabolism.
- Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.
- Supporting your immune system.
Coconut oil even benefits your skin when applied topically and has been found to have anti-aging, regenerative effects.
Gogi berries are filled with powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses, including heart disease. Antioxidants may also boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.
Eating foods high in antioxidants may slow the aging process as well. It does this by minimizing damage from free radicals that injure cells and damage DNA. When a cell’s DNA changes, the cell grows abnormally. Antioxidants can take away the destructive power of free radicals. By doing so, antioxidants help reduce the risk of some serious diseases.
Goji berries also have compounds rich in vitamin A that may have anti-aging benefits. These special compounds help boost immune function, protect vision, and may help prevent heart disease.
The Recipe!
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/4 cup chopped basil and mint, a combination of the two
1/3 cup goji berries (or raisins)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper, dash, to taste
lemon juice, dash, to taste
1 cup filtered water
Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa, return to boil then reduce to a simmer. After a couple minutes, add goji berries (or raisins) to the quinoa and allow to simmer with quinoa. Keep simmering until all the water is gone, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Dice fresh basil and mint.
Add basil and mint to quinoa. Stir.
Add coconut oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Serves one. That was easy, wasn’t it? Enjoy!
