Gluten Free Tomato and Vegetable Quinoa

    Quinoa is a grain like edible plant, which is a popular staple, in the diets of gluten sensitive people.  Quinoa was originally cultivated in South America and was a food staple of the Incas. The word quinoa means mother grain in the Quecha language. Quinoa has more nutritional value than most grains. It has all eight amino acids, including lysine. Quinoa is a naturally gluten free food. It is a staple, along with rice, in many gluten free recipes. Quinoa is a delightful addition to any main course. One of my favorite gluten free, vegetarian quinoa recipes is tomato and vegetable quinoa.

Ingredients:

3.5-4 cups of water

2 cups quinoa

1 red onion chopped

3 tomatoes

2 green peppers

2 tbs. olive oil

Pinch of salt

½ tsp. mustard seed

½ tsp. black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Grated parmesan cheese

Pinch of garlic salt

     Wash the quinoa thoroughly. When preparing quinoa, use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa and water. Next, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Let the water boil and reduce the heat. Let the quinoa simmer for 15 minutes. Drain any excess water from the quinoa.

    Chop the onion and green peppers into small cubes. Next, slice the tomatoes into cubes. Sauté the olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne powder and mustard seeds in a medium size pan. Add the onions and green pepper. Sauté the vegetable mixture until it is tender. Next, add the cubed tomatoes. Continue sautéing the mixture and stir frequently. Combine the quinoa with the sautéed tomato and vegetable mixture. Serve warm and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.