I started eating quinoa about twelve years ago. Yes, this is my subtle way of saying I was into quinoa before it became a "thing." I'm a quinoa hipster. I was 23 and had recently had my first ever full physical. You know the kind, the one that in addition to weighing you and the basics, you also get a full blood screen to check for any abnormalities. I was still in college and living the college life. That is to say, I was not exactly eating healthy, or really do anything healthy. When it came time for my results, my doctor said that everything looked great and it was some of the best blood work he'd ever seen. His exact words were "So keep doing whatever you're doing because it's working out great" I replied "I eat fast food and drink Starbucks daily, smoke, drink alcohol, and don't work out." I remember him sighing and saying "I normally wouldn't encourage that behavior but it seems to be working for you. But maybe cut back on the smoking and drinking and eat a vegetable every once in a while." So with that in mind, I decided to work on my diet. I didn't need a doctor to tell me my lifestyle was unhealthy but I apparently did need his judgement to motivate me to do something about it.
I went to the grocery store and started buying actual food that wasn't sandwich meat, didn't come in a can, didn't require cooking in a microwave, and didn't have "Instant" on the label. It was hard. I was in the pasta section when I saw a little turquoise box labeled "Quinoa: A Complete Source of Protein." A complete source of protein in a box? Please continue! I read the box and learned that it was an ancient grain that was regarded as a superfood. This was in the time before smartphones so I had to go by what was on the box, I couldn't Google it. Because I'm an advertisers dream and constantly fall for flashy words and packaging (and because all it required was being boiled in water) I bought a box.
And I never turned back.
I actually enjoyed quinoa and because it was so easy to make and paired well with almost everything, I ate it regularly. Then it became the most popular food on the planet and the price skyrocketed. I don't eat it as often now because I've learned how to cook other foods but I still like it a lot.
The ingredients
2 1/4 lb turkey meat. I used 1 lb ground turkey
4 tbsps veggie oil
1 red onion, chopped. I used half.
4 cloves garlic, chopped. I used 2.
2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped. I used one tomato and didn't skin it because that would have taken too long.
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsps Yellow Chili Paste. Remember, this is just yellow pepper blended with veggie oil.
4 cups veggie broth. I used 2.
3 tbsps blended cilantro, which is cilantro blended with water and then strained. It's basically cilantro water.
Brown the turkey meat and set aside. Heat oil and add the onion, tomato, and garlic. Saute until the onion has softened and add the oregano and chili paste. Season with S&P and cook until the paste has thickened. Add the turkey and pour in the broth and blended cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for an hour IF using turkey pieces and not ground turkey. If you're using ground turkey, add the turkey and quinoa, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in bowls.
This meal was quick (my favorite!) and sooooo delicious! I've made ground turkey and quinoa before but I've always made them separately and then combined them. By boiling the quinoa with the turkey, it made the turkey soft and creamy. There was a slight lime taste and I think that's from the cilantro water. Both James and I really enjoyed this meal and I didn't give any to the girls because I was worried it would be too spicy due to the yellow pepper. I should have because it wasn't spicy at all but I'm sure they enjoyed their hot dogs and yogurt just as much as we enjoyed our dinner.
Peruvian food has been the best so far. We really need to travel there (eventually):)
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