Red Quinoa with Blue Cheese and Olives

This recipe is great to serve as an App with some red wine, or eat by the spoonful as a side dish. Simple, but packed with interesting flavors.

2 cups Cooked Quinoa
3 tablespoons Blue Cheese
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix and EAT. This recipe is great warm or cold.

Make it a bigger meal (or use day #2) by adding the Quinoa mixture inside of a pepper and cooking for 15 min on 375.
Meat eaters- cut a chicken breast in half- put quinoa mix inside- cover with olive oil and bake for 20 min on 350.

Health Benefits of Kalamata Olives

1. Olives are one of the two fresh fruits (the other one is avocados) that have high content of monounsaturated fats (MUFA), which are heart-healthy.

2. The monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, lowers the LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol in blood and raises the HDL cholesterol.

3. Alpha-linolenic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid in olive oil, promotes a healthy heart, reduces hypertension, reduces the risk of autoimmune diseases and cancers, acts as a blood thinner and prevents the formation of clots and improves depression.

4. MUFA are also believed to be beneficial in the prevention of gallstones.

5. Good source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that fights against the free radicals in the body and protects our cells from the damage (oxidation) caused by them, thus reducing the risk of heart diseases, cancers and other inflammatory diseases.

6. The anti-inflammatory actions of monounsaturated fats and Vitamin E in olives may also help reduce the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

7. The phytonutrient compounds found in the olives like the polyphenols and flavonoids have been found to have significant anti-inflammatory properties.

8. Regular consumption of olive oil reduces the risk of hypertension.

9. Good source of ‘beta carotene’, a precursor of Vitamin A, which also acts as an antioxidant along with Vitamin E.