Quinoa, Brussels Sprouts warm salad

warning--Quinoa can present problems for gluten sensitivity. I am giving the recipe below which is delicious! But here is why (I have problems with it--perhaps cauliflower rice might be a good substitution for quinoa in this recipe)

New Study Identifies Quinoa as a Potential Danger

A recent research paper published by V.F. Zevallos and co-workers examined 15 different varieties of quinoa, to examine their safety for people with celiac disease.

The quinoa proteins were tested to determine if they led to an increased production of IFN (interferon)-gamma and IL( interleukin) 15.  These inflammatory chemicals (also called cytokines) play important roles for the human immune response to gluten.  What did the researchers find?

  Two out of the 15 quinoa cultivars (“Ayacuchana” and “Pansakalla”) stimulated an immune response that was as potent as that observed for wheat gluten.

This result suggests that quinoa is not necessarily safe for ingestion in those with gluten sensitivity.  Additionally, the results shed more light on the traditional flawed thought that proteins in wheat, barley, and rye are the only food proteins to be problematic in patients with gluten sensitivity.  [see article http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/is-quinoa-a-safe-gluten-free-food-alternative/}




This is really quite tasty--I like the flavor combinations and it would be good for Thanksgiving as well. I needed to add more Brussels, but still it was very good. I only had 10 ounces and the recipe calls for more. This recipe called for cooking the Brussels in the oven which would be good but time consuming. I changed it up a bit. Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked pre-rinsed quinoa
1 and 3/4 cup water
2 bags of Frozen baby Brussels Sprouts (10 ounce each so total of 20 ounces) I used the microwave pouch kind
a pinch or two of dried rosemary if desired
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1-2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper
Parsley if desired
olive oil

Dressing:

DRESSING:

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used 1/2 tab less than this since I did not have full amount of Brussels.2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Place the quinoa (already rinsed) and the water together in a covered pot and cook until done--about 12 minutes more or less. Meanwhile microwave the baby Brussels 4 minutes. Then place the Brussels in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and sautee with a pinch or two of dried rosemary. After a minute or two add your almonds and minced garlic. Sautee for another couple of minutes until the almonds and garlic are either heated through or slightly browned depending on how you like it.

Mix the brussel stuff with the quinoa. Mix the dressing ingredients together and stir well and add it to your quinoa dish stirring well. Add your cranberries, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

note to self: this may be good with cauliflower rice as a substitute for the quinoa!