Healthy Quinoa Pie Recipe

Submitted by Elisha McFarland

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup chopped green onion
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup mild goat cheese, grated
• ½ tsp. Himalayan salt

Procedure:

1. Place ½ cup of quinoa in a pan with 1 cup water and season with salt, if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
2. Remove quinoa from heat and transfer to a large pan or bowl.
3. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil then add the chopped romaine and kale. Toss till wilted.
4. Transfer greens to a strainer and squeeze out excess moisture. Stir chopped greens into quinoa.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add cooked onions, green onions and goat cheese to quinoa
6. Stir in eggs and season with Himalayan salt.
7. Put 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil in a 9-inch pie pan and oil pan evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

 

This Quinoa Pie Is a Nutritional Powerhouse in Every Bite

The star of this recipe is quinoa, a simple and versatile food well-loved by many people, for good reason – it doesn’t contain gluten, a protein that can cause the immune system to attack the intestine. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity now affects as many as 30 to 40 percent of the population, which is why many people are now switching to gluten-free alternatives like quinoa.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as quinoa actually has a superb nutritional profile that cannot be rivaled by any other grain. Just take a look at the many benefits of quinoa:

• It’s described as the highest-protein “grain,” and is actually a complete protein – it contains all the nine essential amino acids.
• It’s abundant in antioxidants and phytonutrients. You can get antioxidants like coumaric, ferulic, vanillic, and hydroxybenzoic acid from quinoa. Quercetin and kaempferol, which have anti-inflammatory benefits that help lower your risk of diseases, are also present in quinoa. 
• It’s high in fiber, which helps you feel full longer. A study found that people who consumed quinoa felt more satiated than those who ate wheat or rice.
• It is rich in fatty acids, particularly oleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that’s linked to reduced blood pressure and heart disease risk.

A study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which followed more than 367,000 people for 14 years, found that eating a bowl of quinoa a day may actually help lower your risk of premature death from diseases like cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease, and diabetes by 17 percent. To learn more about the benefits of this wholesome food, read this article “Are You Curious About Quinoa?”

This recipe also features two health-packed green vegetables: romaine lettuce and kale. Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin A, K, B1, C, as well as folate, manganese, potassium, copper, and iron. While I usually advise using sprouts instead of lettuce (as it has been found to be a major source of waste and foodborne illnesses) in salads, this is one recipe where this vegetable will not go to waste.

Meanwhile, kale is one of the top green veggies that I highly recommend because of its high amounts of vitamin K, A, and C. It also has a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio – an exceptionally high amount of protein for any vegetable. In fact, like quinoa, it contains all nine essential amino acids. So, try to look beyond kale’s bitter flavor, and you’ll see just how much this vegetable can benefit your health.

About the Author
Elisha McFarland is the founder and owner of My Health Maven. Elisha turned her debilitating illness from mercury poisoning into a dedicated passion to helping others. Her website covers a wide range of topics including non-toxic living, healthy recipes, health tests at home, healing power of foods, home remedies, food ingredients, dental health, and how to avoid environmental illness. Her goal is “to empower you to achieve health through education.” You can connect with Elisha through her website My Health Maven  or Facebook.