Cooking with Quinoa (Beef Picadillo with Quinoa and Spinach Recipe)

The first time I heard about Quinoa was about 4 years ago from my Auntie who lives in Florida. At that time, it was the "in" thing, but I refused to eat anything that had the word "healthy" in it. I immediately judged healthy food because I thought it was not going to taste good!

Then Quinoa started appearing everywhere and it was starting to poke at my curiosity. A few months ago, I finally bought myself a pack from Healthy Options but I didn't dare open the pack since I was either too skeptic or too lazy to start eating healthy! Plus, we were leaving for New York so diet food was out of the question.

Bob's Red Mill Quinoa 26oz, PhP 750.00

So, what is Quinoa and why is it good for people who are trying to lose weight like me? After countless research, this is what I found about Quinoa:

What is quinoa? 

While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. First, it takes less time to cook than other whole grains - just 10 to 15 minutes. 

Second, quinoa tastes great on its own, unlike other grains such as millet or teff. Finally, of all the whole grains, quinoa has the highest protein content, so it's perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain, and is almost always organic.(about.com)

Knowing that, it's high in protein and low in carbs so you can substitute it for rice so it won't add pounds to your midsection!

Cooking 1 cup of Quinoa makes about 3 cups of cooked Quinoa. That is according to a website I referred to on how to cook it. Proportion is 1 cup of Quinoa and 2 cups water.

I know that Wikipedia can explain it better, so this is why gluten-free is good for some people:

A gluten-free diet (GF diet) is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein complex found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye and triticale. A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease. Being gluten intolerant can often mean a person may also be wheat intolerant as well as suffer from the related inflammatory skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis, there are a smaller minority of people who suffer from wheat intolerance alone and are tolerant to gluten.

"Despite the health claims for gluten-free eating, there is no published experimental evidence to support such claims for the general population."A significant demand has developed for gluten-free food in the United States whether it is needed or not. A gluten-free diet might also exclude oats. Medical practitioners are divided on whether oats are acceptable to celiac disease sufferers or whether they become cross-contaminated in milling facilities by other grains. Oats may also be contaminated when grown in rotation with wheat when wheat seeds from the previous harvest sprout up the next season in the oat field and are harvested along with the oats. 

The exact level at which gluten is harmless for people with celiac disease is uncertain. A 2008 systematic review tentatively concluded that consumption of less than 10 mg of gluten per day for celiac disease patients is unlikely to cause histological abnormalities, although it noted that few reliable studies had been conducted. (from Wikipedia)

Now let's cook! I am making my very own version of Picadillo. You don't have to use a scale but I love weighing some of the ingredients so that I can measure the calories better specially when there is no "Quinoa-Beef Picadillo" in My Net Diary. This Quinoa-Beef Picadillo only has 481 calories and it will make you last until dinner!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Cooked Quinoa
150g Beef Sirloin
70g Fresh Spinach
30g chopped Onions
17g minced Garlic
1Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato Catsup
1Tbsp Olive Oil
Dash of Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Let's start with cooking the Quinoa. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook so it's better to cook the Quinoa first while prepping the other ingredients.

Put 1 cup of Quinoa in your rice cooker and add 2 cups of water. The 1:2 ratio will give the Quinoa texture a more rice, fluffy feel. When you cook the Quinoa in a rice cooker and it's starting to boil, it has a smell of beans/seeds. Don't expect the smell of rice ok?

2. Prepare 70g of fresh Spinach, 150g of Beef Sirloin, 30g of onions, and 17g of garlic. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil, and saute the garlic until a little toasted. Then saute the onions until transparent. Add the beef and brown it. Add the spinach last so that the oil from the beef will cook the veggies.

4. Add the Quinoa when the vegetables are cooked.

5. Mix well and add the soy sauce and catsup.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I used Himalayan Pink Salt because it is said to be better for your health.

Serve HOT! You can add a dash of Tobasco sauce too if you want a little zing to your Picadillo! I love that this dish makes me full longer and I can last until dinner! YUM!

The Quinoa is an acquired taste. If you are anything like me who is desperate for rice, then Quinoa is the next best thing! It has the texture of rice and it's filling, without the carbs and the sugar!

Hope you enjoy this dish if you do decide to make it!