Quinoa salad with adzuki beans, beetroot, sweet potatoes and asparagus
This recipe can be eaten warm or cold. Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is a seed but, is considered a whole grain which is high in protein and fibre. It is a complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids, which our bodies cannot make on their own. To power up this recipe nutritionally with proteins I have also used adzuki beans.
Cooked red quinoa
For this recipe I chose the red quinoa as I prefer the taste and texture when used in salads. It is useful to know that quinoa comes in different colours including white, black, and red. The most seen variety is the pearl white quinoa which can be used as a great substitute for rice. It has a mild taste but is a complete protein, containing all the nine essential amino acids. It is high in fibre and a great source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. It also cooks quickly. The red variety has a stronger flavour and is nuttier and crunchier to taste. It is great for salads. It takes 3-4 minutes longer to cook but, it too is a complete protein however, it has slightly lower amounts of vitamins and minerals but is higher in fibre. The black quinoa is even higher in fibre however, it takes longer to cook and has a strong taste.
The other main ingredients used are :
Beetroot : which is high in fibre but, also rich in Vitamin C, Folate (vitamin B9), Iron, Manganese, Potassium - it lowers blood pressure and increases exercise capacity
Sweet Potato : is a very nutritious food - a great source of fibre and incredibly rich in vitamins like Vitamin A, C, B6 and minerals like Manganese, Potassium, Copper and Niacin. Sweet potatoes are beneficial for promoting gut health and useful for facilitating bowel movements. They have high levels of antioxidants which help prevent free radical damage. Sweet potatoes are also rich in beta-carotene which makes Vitamin A and therefore enhances your vision and also helps boost your immune system
Asparagus : is a another nutrient rich and tasty vegetable. It is high in fibre, a great source for Vitamins A, C, and K and Folic Acid, so a great food to have during pregnancy. Additionally, it is a great pre-biotic, which is food for the good bacteria in your gut and therefore aids in maintaining a healthy gut. It also helps lower blood pressure. Since it has high water content and therefore low calories it enables weight loss
Ingredients :
1 beetroot
2 sweet potatoes
10 stalks of asparagus
1 cup adzuki beans
4 cherry tomatoes
a bunch of parsley
a few sprigs of rosemary
a small onion
2 garlic pods
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
Method :
1. Soak the adzuki beans and quinoa overnight
2. Boil the adzuki beans for 30 minutes
3. Boil the quinoa for 15 minutes
4. Put the adzuki beans and quinoa which have been boiled separately, aside to drain the water
5. Chop the beetroot and sweet potatoes into small squares
6. Place the chopped beetroot and sweet potatoes with the whole asparagus stalks in a pyrex dish and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them
Chopped beetroot, sweet potatoes and stalks of asparagus roasted
7. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper and chopped rosemary and then grill for 20 minutes at 180 C
8. In the meantime cook the beans with the onion, garlic, olive oil, rest of the salt and pepper on low fire for 5 mins
Cooked adzuki beans with onions and garlic
9. Let the asparagus cool down a bit and then slice them
10. Chop the cherry tomatoes, parsley and rosemary
Chopped cherry tomatoes, parsley and rosemary
11. Mix all the cooked ingredients into a bowl and toss in the parsley and cherry tomatoes and drizzle extra virgin olive oil.
Quinoa salad
It is now ready to be eaten - enjoy!