Saturday, April 10, 2010

great quinoa & bee pollen














i haven't posted in a while because i haven't made anything new! i've mostly been doing the juicing stuff, eating raw when i can. i did start adding bee pollen to my smoothies, which definitely gives me a little extra zing. its known to slow down the aging process, help with weight loss, reduce allergies, lower cholesterol, contains vitamin C, D, E, and K. it is also known to help strengthen the body, and help with endurance, stamina & mental clarity. all that in a tablespoon of bee pollen! and, as i did further research, i found out it takes one bee eight hours each day, for a month to make a tablespoon of this stuff! pretty crazy!

i've also been making this quinoa (a great alternative to rice) dish lately. i don't have a photo, but it is so delicious, and especially with the summer season coming up and fresh herbs readily available, courtesy of giada delaurentis (of the food network) but with some of my own tweaking.

cook the quinoa: 2 cups of water (or veggie stock) to 1 cup of quinoa

Dressing:

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* salt and black pepper to taste

For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add quinoa & water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Good stuff, enjoy!