Quinoa with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin flowers

The nutritive properties of the quinoa plant are surprising: besides being an excellent source of vegetable protein, it contains fibers and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. It is a fat-free pseudo-cereal, or rather the few it contains are unsaturated, which are notoriously known to fight bad cholesterol.

It is undoubtedly a primary choice for those looking to maintain a good physical shape and of course for celiacs because it is totally gluten-free.

However these qualities have made this pseudo-cereal super-requested all over the world, including Italy. This has led to the fact that most of the growers increase their crops excessively, preventing the local consumption from expediency to promote its sale to foreign countries.

If on the one hand the mass cultivation of quinoa has meant that many cattle ranches disappear or radically decrease (certainly a positive consideration for the vegan ethical movement in the world), on the other hand “the quinoa race” has given way free use of low quality of fertilizers and chemicals to maximize their consumption, that has polluted and depleted the soil.

As often happens, this news are exploited to the full to ridicule or even worse to throw mud on what’s good, healthy and ethical in the choice of becoming vegan. Eating a dish of quinoa from time to time does not harm anyone, and certainly not the environment. Indeed speaking nutritionally it is an excellent source of nutrients. Eating it excessively every day throughout the year, yes, it could have its disadvantages.

However, there is no comparison between eating a good quality of quinoa dish that respects the cultivation techniques that are in harmony with the environment and eat meat, a tradition that favors only absurd practices of violence and defends a trivial as childhood attachment to tradition.

But now come to us and to our recipe:

The secret of a good cooking, as I often say, is a light cooking over low heat that keeps the colors alive. My advice then is to try and taste when you have the feeling that vegetables are chewable and soft at the right point. However, be careful not to wait too long, because you risk losing colors and consequently nutrients.

AMOUNT FOR 2 PORTIONS

Ingredients:

250 gr of peeled pumpkin
6 flowers of pumpkin
fresh parsley
a clove of garlic
a dozen pumpkin seeds per plate
salt and oil, as you feel
a pinch of black pepper

To garnish:

fresh parsley

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KITCHEN TOOLS ~ For this dish, you need:

a pot for cooking quinoa
a non-stick pan to cook the pumpkin
chopping board and knife

PREPARATION TIME ~ 20 min approx for the cooking of quinoa (of which 15-18 min should be enough for cooking pumpkin.)

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DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan let’s cook the quinoa with plenty of water.

(N.B. If you do not want to respect the cooking times proposed on the package, you can simply pay attention to when the beans separate from the filament. This is a clear sign that the quinoa is ready to be poured from the cooking water).

In a non-stick pan, pour a little oil and a trickle of water. Cut the garlic clove into small pieces and let it flavor for 1 minute on medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin and pour it into the pan. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, adding water.

For the remaining 5 minutes of cooking, add the quinoa drained from its cooking water and mix it with the pumpkin. At the same time add a mixture of fresh parsley, pumpkin flowers, salt and pepper.

At the end of the 5 minutes, add a dozen pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley (also chopped if you prefer) and a drizzle of raw oil.

Aaaand Enjoy your meal! 🙂