by Shannon Morehouse
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a powerful fueling source for athletes. Far healthier than pasta, it’s the perfect carb-loading grain. Even better, it has a complete amino-acid profile, so by consuming quinoa, you will be getting the protein and carbohydrates needed for sustained energy in any endurance event. Not to mention loads of vitamins and minerals. The recipe below is great to have a night before a race. The amount of parsley counts as two vegetable servings. The amount of protein is substantial enough for vegetarians. For an extra protein kick, serve this quinoa with grilled fish or chicken, or with seared tempeh or tofu.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed)
– 2 cups of water
– ¼ cup pine nuts
– 2 cloves of garlic chopped
– 2 ½ cups of parsley chopped
– 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
– Juice from two lemons
– Sea salt to taste
Directions
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Meanwhile, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. When the quinoa begins boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes. Remove quinoa from stove and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, dry toast the pine nuts on a pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork; add the garlic with olive oil, parsley, pine nuts, juice of two lemons, and salt to taste.
Shannon Morehouse, founder of ShannonLynn Nutrition, is a holistic sports nutritionist, competitive runner, and triathlete. She and her husband Brent (Cat. 1 cyclist and endurance coach) offer online coaching services to cyclists, runners, and triathletes across the country. Find out more about Shannon at http://www.shannonlynn.com.
Photo by Maria Quiroga.