Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Quinoa, Goats Cheese and Pomegranates

This looks divine and after I figured out what arils were (seeds from Pomegranates) - I was so excited to try this recipe! Making it this weekend.

Quinoa with Arils and Goat Cheese by Zoe Nathan
(From the POM website)

Ingredients:

1 cup arils from 1–2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 tablespoon ground pepper
kosher salt to taste
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup goat cheese


Preparation:

Score 1–2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; sauté until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove quinoa from saucepan and spread out over sheet tray and let it cool (it stops the cooking process). Mix in the mint, pomegranate arils and goat cheese. Season with salt, pepper and some olive oil to taste. Serve.

Nutritional Information:

(205g): 400 calories (140 calories from fat), 14g protein, 53g carbohydrates, 16g total fat (8g saturated), 30mg cholesterol, 1330mg sodium, 7g dietary fiber, 23g sugars, 15% vitamin A, 4% vitamin C, 15% calcium, 20% iron.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy Eating

After meeting with a nutritionist and naturopath, I've become aware of how my food choices affect my overall health. When I'm eating better, I feel better. And I certainly know the same is true for my 3 year old. So here's to a healthy start.

I've started this blog as a way to catalog all my efforts towards a wheat-free kitchen. Ideally, I would like to *aim* for a couple days a week of dairy and sugar free eating as well, but I know baby steps are the only way towards lasting change.