Okay, so it’s only day one and I am going to admit that I’m cheating a little bit, because I made this for my lunch yesterday. But it was like comfort for my SOUL, to the point where despite every healthy ingredient, my body was so happy after eating this gut and heart-warming food that she promptly demanded a happy nap.
I think if I weren’t on vacation with the joy of taking whenever naps at my fingertips, the balance of protein and healthy carbohydrates would have given the steady blood-sugar and constant energy a person WANTS after they eat. But I am pretty damn relaxed right now…
- 2 c steamed quinoa** (use your rice cooker if you have one!)
- 1 c baby arugula
- ½ c oven roasted or sundried tomatoes in their oil
- 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts (raw toasted for 7 minutes at 400 degrees)
- 2 oz goat feta, crumbled
- **in the event you’re using leftover quinoa, as I was from the night before, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a frying pan and toss the quinoa and tomatoes in together. It will warm right up, and then you can remove from heat immediately.
- Combine all ingredients except cheese and mix well.
- Last, garnish with the crumbled feta.
- Divide and enjoy immediately!
WHY do I use goat feta as opposed to cow feta?
Generally these days as a chef who rocks the special diets, I have started to avoid cow dairy while cooking more often than not. Don’t get me wrong – I do still love a triple-cream brie now and again (ESPECIALLY Cowgirl Creamery’s Organic Mt. Tam!), but goat, sheep, and buffalo dairy products are simply much easier for most people to digest.
They have significantly lower levels of both lactose and casein, two of the most common allergies especially in children. They are naturally homogenized and are easier for your sensitive digestive system to assimilate and break down into bio-available nutrients, and let us not forget that it has a distinctive salty flavor that fits the umami bill on our tastebuds. Here’s a fun link to read a little more!
http://www.eatlifewhole.com/2013/06/goats-milk-vs-cows-milk-is-there-a-difference/
AND – if you’re going to honot Celtic tradition, consuming goat’s milk and or cheese is said to honor Cernunnos, the god of wealth and prosperity. JUST SAYIN’ – in case you want to take a chance and possibly enrich your life…
Have you found maving away from cow dairy has had a positive effect on your digestive system?
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