Packed with protein, quinoa is a wheat-free alternative that’s ideal as a salad or a dessert, writes MEERA MURUGESAN.
QUINOA is one of the most versatile grains out there and it can be used very creatively in the kitchen.
This ancient grain that’s packed with protein and is a wonderful wheat-free alternative can be turned into healthy salads, smoothies and even guilt-free desserts.
These recipes by Chef Davina Goh show how quick, fast and easy it is to include some quinoa into our daily diet. These hassle-free healthy recipes make eating this super grain super easy.
GLUTEN FREE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIES
Makes 42-45 cookies
PREP TIME: 20 mins
BAKING TIME: 10 mins
TIME NEEDED: 30 mins or more, depending on how many cookies you can bake at a time
Dry ingredients:
175ml quinoa powder
100ml chickpea flour
50ml rice flour
175ml cocoa powder
200 ml brown sugar
1/2 cup dark choc chips
3/4 cup pecans
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tbsp chia topped up to 50ml water
100ml tahini paste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Break pecans into small pieces with your hands. Bake pieces for 10 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Remove pecans from oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. In a dry bowl, mix pecan pieces and other dry ingredients together evenly.
5. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients together as evenly as possible.
6. Massage wet mixture into dry mixture to make a dough.
7. Take a small piece of dough and press it together. If it crumbles, add more milk by the tablespoonful. If it is gooey and doesn’t hold its shape, add any more of the flours used by the tablespoonful.
8. Roll dough into small balls about an inch-wide in diameter.
9. Flatten one palm and press a ball into it, rounding the side facing you with your fingers, making a half-spherical shape. This is one cookie.
10. Line up cookies in rows on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving a space the width of two fingers between each of them.
11. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
12. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating.
QUINA MANGO SALAD
Serves 2
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups lettuce or mixed leaves, chopped finely
1 mango
3 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
1 cup cooked Spoon Health Quinoa
1 avocado
2 tbsp almond flakes, lightly toasted
Dressing:
Juice of half an orange
1 tsp agave nectar
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tsp chia seed
Method:
1. Add chia seed to orange juice and leave aside for 10 minutes.
2. Halve the avocado, remove pit and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Cut flesh into thin slices.
3. Remove skin and seed from mango and cut flesh into cubes.
4. In a salad bowl, put the lettuce, followed by the avocado, mango, quinoa and pomegranate seeds.
5. Add agave nectar and olive oil to juice and chia, and shake or stir into an emulsion.
6. Pour dressing over salad, followed by almond flakes.
7. Serve immediately and toss salad before eating.
PAPAYA PASSION SMOOTHIE
SERVES 2
PREP TIME: 10 mins, excluding overnight
TOTAL TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup cold non-dairy milk
1 cup frozen papaya
1/3 cup frozen passionfruit pulp
2 tbsp Spoon Health quinoa powder
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
3 tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp lime juice
Method:
1. Cut a papaya, remove skin and seeds and cut into small dices to fill 1 cup.
2. Cut 4-6 passionfruit in half and remove pulp to fill a third of a cup.
3. Freeze both fruit separately overnight.
4. In a blender, put all ingredients in and blend until fine and smooth.
5. Transfer to tall glasses and serve immediately.