What I ate Wednesday ...

Today is a public holiday here in Brisbane.  Bonus day off during the week!
It's a beautiful day too, so I decided that we needed to go for a family run!  Not everyone was as excited as I was ( read this as kids complained about it .. ) .. but there was no way they were getting out of it!

As much as the kids complained they still enjoyed it!  Mr FitMum decided to do a few hill sprints at the top of Spider Hill ... can you see how much Baxter loved this!

The council have been out doing some controlled burning in the bush the last few weeks and this is what we saw at the top ...

The rest of the day wasn't quite so active but that's OK to have a restful catch up mid week!

In keeping with our active morning, I decided to have some yummy salmon for dinner.  Salmon is popular in our house, but as it's a bit expensive we don't have it too regularly.  I served it tonight baked with a basil pesto crust and quinoa salad on the side. 

I'm still trialling quinoa and this is the first time I have made it up like cous cous.  It didn't look totally fabulous as I wasn't really sure what I wanted to add to it, but I made it on some chicken stock and then added some cherry tomatoes, shallots and parsley.  It didn't taste too bad for a first effort and Mr FitMum even said he liked it better than cous cous!

Oh yeah!  I may be on a winner here!  Even the kids didn't kick up too much fuss!  This one will definitely be used again!

Well, that's it for my mid week public holiday!  I'm going to have a sugar free hot chocolate to celebrate!

Did you see I started a FitMum page on Facebook?  Come and check it out and if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll see what I can come up with!

Hope you have had a great day, where ever you are!

What I'm eating Wednesday ...

I saw this sitting in my pantry over the weekend.

I bought it about a month ago with the intention of trying it for breakfast as a change from the usual or to make up a salad. 

As you have surely heard quinoa is a "super grain" that has been around for thousands of years.  The fabulous Wikipedia can be credited for providing me with some nutritional information on quinoa ...  

"Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (14% by mass). Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest."

So anyway I thought that I had better make the effort to use it this week.  The stuff is a little bit expensive if you decide to leave it go past the use by date.

I have used quinoa flakes before to make "porridge" for breakfast and I'll be honest and I was not so fussed at all! I thought it smelled funny and tasted a bit gag worthy.

But, I'm giving the whole grain a go this time.
 
I've been having it for my breakfast the last few mornings.  The directions on the packet suggest 1 part quinoa to 3 parts water.  I have been cooking it up with water and adding some berries like I usually do for my oats or muesli.  I also add a tablespoon or so of milk ( I like it a bit creamy ) and a drizzle of maple syrup as I just didn't think I could face it "unsweetened". I'm working my way up slowly!

This morning I made it up and added the tablespoon or so of milk but when a bit luxurious and added raisins and some brown sugar. I must say this was a little more palatable.
I believe I also need to rinse it to get rid of some of the "bitterness" .. I tried this one morning but I forgot this morning so unsure whether this really made a difference!

I haven't yet tried it in a savoury dish.  I'm a bit nervous as to the family's reaction however I would like to have a go as it is supposed to be great as a cous cous substitute. 
I have done a little bit of searching on the Internet ( as you do ) to find some savoury recipes. There are hundreds! There are websites dedicated to quinoa recipes alone.

I'm going to keep playing over the next week or so and see what I can come up with!  In the meantime, if anyone has any tried and true recipes I could have a crack at please send them through!

What have you been eating this Wednesday?