No matter how you pronounce it, it taste great!

Quinoa- have you heard of it? Pronounce Keen-wah and not Kwin-oh-a. while no one food can provide us with all of our essential nutrients, quinoa comes very close. In addition to being nutritious, it is quite tasty, nutty in flavor and crunchy to taste.

Quinoa grows high in the Andes and is an amazing crop to produce. It grows easily in dry, unfertile soil, needing no irrigation or fertilizer. Under these conditions, the United Nations has named quinoa the "super crop" due to its ability to feed the poor and hungry of the world with little agricultural efforts.

The quinoa plant grows from 3 to 9 feet in height, is magenta in color and comes in over 120 varieties. Botanically quinoa is related to beets, chard and spinach. Both the leaves and the seeds are suitable for eating.

In the USA white quinoa, followed by red quinoa and black quinoa, are the most popular and available varieties found in our markets. Quinoa can also be purchased in flakes and flour. Many or our larger grocery stores will carry these products in their organic section. If you have difficulty locating quinoa in your store, try your local health food market.

So are you curious enough to give it a try? I have found quinoa the most inexpensive when purchased in bulk at health food stores. Why not purchase yourself a small amount and give this recipe a try?

Black Quinoa Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

8 ounces of black quinoa (if you think the color will inhibit you from eating it, buy the white quinoa)
2 cups of water
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 cup snap peas, bias cut
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup scallions, bias cut
1 mango, diced small
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
sesame seeds, toasted, to garnish

Dressing:

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
2.Rinse quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear. Place quinoa in boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl combine orange juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger and hot sauce. Slowly whisk in sesame oil to create an emulsion. Set aside to incorporate flavors in dressing.
4. In a large bowl combine quinoa, red cabbage, snap peas, carrots, scallions, mango, and cilantro.
5. Fold in dressing and let chill in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 7-8 cups

Recipe courtesy of Indian Harvest Specialtifoods

Local Freshness is almost here!

According to my calendar, Spring is just 6 days away. It's been a long, cold and snowy winter and I just can't wait to put it behind me. To help me feel better, I sent my 2010 CSA registration in this morning! Yes, fresh, local and organically grown produce will soon be back on my plate. While I am waiting, I think I will take advantage of some of spring's first producers- radishes.

Here are some facts on Radishes that you may not already know:
1. Radishes can be enjoyed raw and cooked! See recipe below.
2. Radishes are not just Red. They grow in a variety of shapes and colors. Why not give a few other varieties a try this year?
3. In Ancient days, radishes were used for medicine for such ailments as whooping cough, cancer, gastric problems and constipation. Parasites and arthritis were also treated by eating radishes.
4. The pungent flavor is due to the plant's compound- glucosinolates, which are also found in horseradish, mustard and wasabi.
5. Findings indicate that radishes will help protect the body against rectal and colon cancer and heart disease. Research done in India found that radish consumption may reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer by 60%.
6. The nutrients and flavor are found mostly in the skin of the radish, so don't peel them!
7. They are very low in calories (19 calories in 1 cup!), rich in vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium.

Give this recipe a try.

Sauteed Radishes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 bunches (about 1 pound) of fresh radishes, tops trimmed and quartered
1/4 black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.

Directions:

1. Heat oil and water in a saute' pan over medium heat.
2. Add radishes and pepper.
3. Saute' radishes, stirring often, until they begin to brown and are crisp tender (about 8 minutes)
4. Sprinkle with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Nutritional information per serving: 38 calories, 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 4 mg. sodium

Recipe courtesy of Environmental Nutrition

Go Green!

It's March! Do you know what that means? It's "Go Green" month! You know, Shamrocks and all that.

Perhaps we can just go green on our plates this month! Many wonderful vegetables are delicious and nutritious and green!

Here is one you may not eat on a regular basis- Avocado

Did you know that avocados:

* are green on the outside and the inside

* grow on trees. One tree can produce up to 400 avocados per year

* are a fruit

* have a very large, hard pit and skin which needs to be removed before eating

* can be used as butter (because they are so creamy)

* can be sliced and used as a garnish, added to salads and sandwiches

Nutritionally, avocados are an excellent source of:

*vitamin C

* B6

* vitamin E

* potassium, magnesium, folate and fiber too!

* cholesterol free

* sodium free

* available all year round

How to select an Avocado:

Avocados have skin that range in color from yellowish green to dark purplish black. To select avocado, purchase ones that are hard to firm. Place them on your kitchen counter to soften. When the skin gets dark (purplish black) and is soft to the touch they are ready to eat.

How to peel and cut an avocado:

Take a sharp knife and slice through the avocado the length way of the fruit. Twist the fruit and pull apart. The large seed will be left on one half of the fruit. Take your knife and lightly tape it against the seed, pull up. The seed should come out with the knife. Now you have 2 halves. Take a large spoon, such as a soup spoon and place it between the skin and flesh of the avocado. Run the spoon all the way around the perimeter of the fruit. The flesh should easily slip away from the skin. Now your fruit is ready to be sliced or chopped.

Here is an easy and light avocaod recipe you can try.

Chicken and Avocado Wraps

makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

3- 10 inch flour tortillas

1 1/2 cup lettuce, shredded

1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1 tomato, diced

1 avacodo, chopped

2 T onion, diced

2 T. barbecue sauce

2 T. ranch dressing

1. Place the tortilla on a plate. Top with lettuce, chicken, tomato, avocado and onion.

2. in a small bowl combine the barbecue sauce and ranch dressing. Mix well. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon over tortilla

3. Roll up tortilla and serve

Nutritional information per serving:

kcal 360, total fat 21 grams, sodium 810 mg, dietary fiber 3 grams, sugar 6 grams, protein 21 grams