I have talked about this recipe before in this post, but I don’t think I actually shared my version of the Lemony Quinoa recipe. As you all probably know, quinoa is a terrific grain, full of protein and fiber. It’s also very well-tolerated by those with fructose malabsorption.
What I love about this recipe is that I can actually eat most of the main ingredients: celery, lemon juice, pine nuts and cumin! I had to eliminate the onion and greatly reduce the cayenne. I also replaced the parsley with spinach for more nutrients. A great substitute for the pine nuts is sunflower nuts. This is a great side dish, or you can add some sauteed chicken for a complete meal. Hmmmm, I just bought some pine nuts……I think I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow!
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| Toasting the Pine Nuts |
Lemony Quinoa with Spinach
adapted from allrecipes.com
serves 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts (or sunflower nuts)
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 stalks celery, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
Directions
- Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, cayenne pepper, cumin and spinach. Season with salt and more cayenne, if desired.
