Quinoa Fish Tacos and 12 Reasons Why You Should Eat them

In the past, I have tried to convince myself to become a fan of quinoa. Why not, right? It's really good for you*, it's trendy,...but up until now I personally have found it kind of...well,...boring. (I'm just sayin'!)

Anyway, I was emailed a quinoa pilaf recipe recently, and as usual, I was reaching for the delete button. Then I read the personal note which said: "Tastes like tacos, yum!".  This comment sparked my interest.

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable broth (I used organic chicken broth)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 (15-ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced

Optional: fresh mint, cilantro or parsley for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucepan and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion and olives, mix well to combine. Top with garnish and serve.

The ingredients looked good, so I made it as a side dish for some sauteed wild caught Turbot fillets. Yum, it DID taste like tacos! But it still LOOKED pretty boring. My fish fillets didn't actually look very exciting either...ugh. I was picturing my family sitting down to this lacklustre dinner, when suddenly...it hit me. WHY NOT MAKE THIS INTO FISH TACOS!?!?!?!? Dinner suddenly became fun again!!! I cut up my fish fillets, tossed them into the quinoa mixture and served it in these wonderful Habanero Lime Flour Tortillas. (You can do this with whatever kind of fish and tortillas you like.)

 We suddenly had the perfect meal, covering all the food groups! We dolloped on some sour cream, shook a little Tabasco sauce, and life was good! Well, at least dinner was good.

*Here are 12 reasons why Quinoa is good for you:
1. Quinoa is rich in protein content. It is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.

2. It has high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body and helps it get rid of dangerous cancer cells and other diseases.

3. The seed is a good source of magnesium, which provides relief from migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels, and decreases the risk of hypertension.

4. Riboflavin present in quinoa reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, by producing energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells.

5. The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and relieves stress on the heart.

6. Quinoa has low content of saturated fats and cholesterol.

7. It is a good source of calcium, which is extremely important for the growth of healthy teeth, bones and skin.

8. The grain is great for people who are allergic to wheat and are suffering from Celiac disease, as it is gluten free.

9. Quinoa is a wonderful source of fiber for the body, which aids easy elimination and toning of colon.

10. The food is rich in carbohydrates, an efficient fuel for energy production required by children and athletes.

11. It is a good source of insoluble fiber that helps avoid gallstones, especially in women who are more prone to them.

12. The high content of copper present in it helps in oxidizing glucose, produces skin coloring agent melanin and acts as catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin.

I would love to hear your feedback, let me know what you think!!!