#52New Foods... Tabbouleh with Quinoa...

I love the theme Keep trying, together! another chapter in Lee's inspiring The 52 New Foods Challenge book. Something I truly champion and have been continuing to do since my kids were babies on solids! Fast forward five years for the twins and 3 years for Matias,  I can't remember how many times I attempted to get them to like foods especially vegetables they initially shook their heads stubbornly and clamped their mouths shut to. As we have been told, it can take 10 to 15 exposures to a food before your child may like it! So true! What I learned is that kids have more taste buds than adults favouring more sweet than bitter, which can contribute to challenges when trying and tasting new vegetables. Let them trust what they are eating by mirroring off what others are eating around them- especially eating together as a family. And the more you involve your kids in the shopping and/or meal preparation the more they are likely to eat it, and gradually let their guards down to give it a try!

I can proudly say that I have gotten my green foods-adversed son Étienne to now enjoy a everything from bok choy, asparagus, avocados and broccoli. My husband and I were overjoyed when eating out recently, he chose on his own to have a side steamed broccoli with his spaghetti over unhealthier options. Nevertheless, at the beginning I didn't waver in serving broccoli often during dinner, and always in their natural form after my kids learned to chew. If you want your kids to give new foods a try, they must be able to identify it, not blended or mashed into their foods, otherwise their willingness to eat and like it is short-lived. If they didn't like something on their plates, I tell them to push it to the side and I would do this with the same foods over and over again. How Étienne came around was when I roasted broccoli simply with olive oil and salt and pepper. I just found a format he liked and he learned to trust the cruciferous vegetable, and now he enjoys eating it cooked any style! Keep exposing, keep trying and don't give up is the mantra....

When I first introduced my kids to quinoa they were less than eager to eat it. Quinoa is regarded as the supergrain of the future, but is actually a grain of the ancient past eaten by the Incas for hundreds of years. The tiny bead-shaped grains have a mild, slightly nutty bitter taste, and cooked until translucent with a unique white outer ring. Rich in nutritional value it is a complete protein containing all eight amino acids, and an excellent source of calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium and B vitamins- a true health powerhouse and great for vegetarians! Aside from tremendous goodness, I found its satisfying taste can easily replace carbs in our meals- a huge bonus! Serving it in a variety of simple recipes with flavours they like, my kids are eating quinoa like troopers and I am always finding new ways to make it! 

We all heard about the health benefits of Mediterranean cuisine rich in a variety of olives, pulses, in-season vegetables, fresh herbs, nuts and fresh seafood. I absolutely love the Lebanese dish tabbouleh- a tapestry of a kitchen garden, with its aromas, its colours, its different textures and intermingling of multi-layered tastes. Instead of using traditional bulgur cracked wheat, which is nuttier, granular and grainy in texture, I am using quinoa as a substitute to give a wonderful twist to this delicious salad- a great way to enjoy a familiar favourite with another healthy grain! You can do the same by substituting an already welcomed grain dish at your table with quinoa!  My kids like tabbouleh served in a pita along with grilled meats such as chicken, beef kefta or kotlet, and you can pack leftovers for the next day as a hearty lunch salad!

Tabbouleh with Quinoa
Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
bunch of flat leaf of curly parsley, leaves plucked, well chopped but not too finely as it will become mushy
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
3 green onions, finely chopped
2-3 small tomatoes, diced, pulp removed
1/2 green pepper, diced

For the vinaigrette:
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Raw quinoa on left and cooked quinoa on right.

Look at all the beautiful and healthful ingredients in this dish!

Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork. Remove and spread onto a plate and let cool for 15 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and chill lightly. Half and hour before serving, use a fork to mix lemon juice with the seasoning to taste. Then add the oil and blend until smooth. Toss the dressing with the salad and mix well. Taste and adjust flavours to your liking.

My Quinoa Tabbouleh ode to The 52 New Foods Challenge.

Served with Iranian grilled chicken breast (jujeh) in a pita.

Quinoa serves as a great base for other ingredients as it absorbs flavours well! Get creative!  For other tasty quinoa ideas try another Mediterranean-style recipe in Greek Quinoa Salad, my sister Trai's awesome Mexican-inspired Black Bean Quinoa Salad and a sweet Quinoa Salad with Cranberries contributed by my niece Kathia. And I have a copy of the book to giveaway to my Susan's Savour-It readers, so please click here and scroll down for details to enter!

Enjoy the journey of experimenting and have fun discovering new foods and flavours together as a family!