quinoa – A Better Bag of Groceries

Trade-Up Tuesday: Things That Begin With Q

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 07:04 AM

Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! It’s everyone’s favorite day here on A Better Bag of Groceries, because I blog about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free.

I think I have the end-of-the-school-year sillies. They are going around my house these days! Because today’s giveaway is a little goofy. I did pick a trade-up: something that is now in my cupboard, that wasn’t before I started my job with NuVal. But I bundled it together with a magazine with Princess Kate and Prince William. You see, both these items begin with the letter Q: Quinoa and the future Queen of England. Get it?

OK – it’s a little dorky and lame, but bear with me.

First, let’s start with the Quinoa (pronounced Keeen- Waaah). I’m giving it away because sometimes it can be really hard to find! I wanted to include a box a couple of weeks ago when I pulled together that summer recipe giveaway. For that giveaway, I went shopping at a grocery store right near the NuVal office. It’s a New England based supermarket chain with a whole bunch of stores and they did not have any quinoa! I couldn’t believe it! So, here it is today. Quinoa scores a 91on the NuVal scale and it is the key ingredient in Catherine Katz’s Almond, Green Bean, and Quinoa Salad. Quinoa has lots of protein and it is gluten free. I am looking for more ways to work quinoa into my family’s recipes this summer.

Second, with this giveaway, you get a Collector’s edition of Majesty Magazine. This is no cheesy publication. Majesty Magazine bills itself as “the quality royal magazine.” I picked it up at Barnes & Noble, and I must say, it’s a pretty impressive collector’s piece. I had a great time on the royal wedding morning. I met up with my gym girlfriends at 5 am just in time to see everything get started at Westminstrer Abbey. We had three big-screen TVs tuned in – on three different stations, so we could watch from several different angles while we worked out. Then, I buzzed home just after 6 and got my kids up so they could watch it live too. They thought it was pretty cool. To this day, my daughter wraps herself up in a long blanket, pretends it’s a wedding dress with a train and says, “I’m Princess Kate.”

So, with this just-for-fun giveaway, I’m suggesting that you

take your quinoa
make Catherine’s quinoa salad
pack it in a little insulated picnic bag
grab your magazine featuring the other Catherine across the pond
head to the beach with your little lunch and your good read

Today’s Giveaway

One lucky reader will win Two Things That Begin With The Letter Q. All you need to do is leave me a comment and tell me:

How you enjoy quinoa?

How you enjoyed watching the Royal Wedding?

Or both! I’ll randomly choose one winner at 8 am Eastern on Wednesday morning, so don’t delay. Good Luck!

Posted by: Melissa 36 comments

Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday

Tags: quinoa

Cooking With Catherine Katz: Quinoa Salad

Monday, August 23, 2010 at 07:12 AM

Welcome to Cooking With Catherine Katz, a regular feature here on A Better Bag of Groceries. Catherine is married to Dr. David Katz, founder of the ONQI algorithm which fuels NuVal scores. Catherine, a native of France, is an incredible cook and I love the recipes that she and David have created together in their book The Flavor-Full Diet. I am amazed every time I try one. Everything is healthy and delicious.

Catherine is a mother of 5! Whew! Catherine sent me this picture after their recent trip to the Caribbean.

What a gorgeous family!

While I had tried some breakfast and dinner recipes, I had not yet tried any of the wonderful lunch recipes that Catherine and David offer in the book. So one recent Sunday morning, with the kids watching Star Trek Revenge of the Sith (or something like that), my husband and I made Almond, Green Bean, and Quinoa Salad.

This recipe only serves 1. We didn’t realize that, but after we made it – and loved it – we quickly made another quadruple batch!

1 1/2 cups frozen French-cut green beans

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 teaspoon crumbled feta cheese

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped almonds

First we had to cook the quinoa – and this was our first time doing that. We chose Ancient Harvest Traditional Quinoa, which scores a 91 on the NuVal scale:

Beautiful grains!

It cooked up quickly and easily.

With the quinoa cooked, and the onions sliced…

we could focus on the rest of the recipe steps:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes (do not overcook). Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

Add the green beans and toss to coat.

Add the quinoa, cheese, onion, and almonds and toss to combine.

While David and Catherine intended this recipe to be an everyday lunch sort of thing, I must say that you could bring this to a party. And people would definitely ask you for the recipe!

I am hooked on quinoa!

Thank you Catherine for another wonderful recipe!

Coffee Giveaway

Congratulations to Commenter #93, Mollie! You’ve won last week’s coffee giveaway. Please send me an email at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can get your prize out to you. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Posted by: Melissa 10 comments

Posted in: Cooking with Catherine Katz, Lunch

Tags: quinoa

Leslie Trades Up: Quinoa!

Friday, June 4, 2010 at 06:55 AM

I love catching my colleagues in the act. The act of trading up for better nutrition, that is. There is no way you can work for NuVal and NOT trade up. We get to see all the scores as they are hot off the press (or really, out of the lab) and well, we all find new things to try all the time.

Take Leslie

Leslie, who is my boss, by the way, has always been a healthy eater. She is one of those people who eats like a bird – always snacking on seeds and nuts. She is also a huge fan of fruit and salmon. Her typical lunch is a mix of these things: a few almonds, some fruit, some Greek yogurt and something leftover from last night’s dinner (like some salmon or chicken) thanks to her husband, Chef David. So, I was very surprised to meet up with her in her office for a lunch-time meeting to find her with a big bowl of a mystery grain.

Yes, Leslie has discovered Quinoa! By the way, until recently, I had no idea how to say this funny word. It’s pronounced Keen-Wah with the emphasis on the “Keen”. Quinoa scores an incredible 91on the NuVal scale.

I was very proud of Leslie for moving beyond seeds for lunch. But then, I did a little research on Quinoa. Thanks to my other colleague Rachel, who posted a great Quinoa recipe here on A Better Bag of Groceries a while back, I discovered that Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain. Who knew? Well, I guess Leslie is eating even more seeds for lunch. But I admire her sense of adventure!

Question of the Day

How do you make your quinoa?

Posted by: Melissa 9 comments

Posted in: NuVal Staff

Tags: NuVal Staff, quinoa

Marvelous Meals with Rachel: Vegetable Quinoa with Walnut Pesto

Friday, May 14, 2010 at 07:05 AM

Things are getting so busy for me at NuVal! We have new several retailers coming on board and it’s my job to help them implement NuVal in all their stores so it has been crazy. Look for some exciting announcements coming very soon. Things at home are also completely chaotic. Likewise, announcements on my home situation coming soon! In the meantime, my colleague Rachel came to the rescue this week with one of her Marvelous Meals. Oh, how I love it when Rachel cooks for me! Seriously, it’s like having a registered dietitian and a great chef in my kitchen. Oh, that’s right, she is a registered dietitian and a great chef! So, without further ado, I bring you another Marvelous Meal from Rachel!

Rachel with her fiance, Fernando

First, let me tell you a little bit about Quinoa. Pronounced: KEEN-WAH.

This seed is one of the few plant foods that contain all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. You heard me right; Quinoa is technically a seed not a grain! It explains the nice nutty flavor quinoa has. As a complete protein it is equivalent to the quality of animal protein – providing the amino acid building blocks needed to support your immune system, wound healing, tissue repair, hair growth, and building hormones.

In addition to protein, Quinoa is also a good source of B vitamins and other minerals. The seed is gluten free, making it a great food for those who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Most quinoa is grown in South America and the Inca Indians have been eating the seed, which they call “Mother Grain”, for over 5,000 years.

This dish is absolutely packed with nutrition. Not only does Quinoa scores an incredible 91 on the NuVal scale, all the veggies in the recipe score high from their vitamin, mineral, fiber, and flavonoid content. So eat this and smile – you’re feeding your body, and family, well!

Vegetable Quinoa with Walnut Pesto

Adapted from Food in Jars

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Quinoa (cooked in 2 cups water) (NuVal score 91)
1 bundle asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces (Score 100)
2 red pepper, chopped (Score 96)
1/2 red onion, chopped (Score 93)
1/2 English cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces (no need to peel these cukes!) (Score 93)
1 can low sodium Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained (Score 82 due to some sodium in canned product)
6 oz Fat Free feta cheese (President Fat Free Feta scores a 28. Regular Feta scores a 24)
2-3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar