Name: Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Yield: 1

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Andres Mendez

The main ingredient of the Mexican dip guacamole!!  Used for savory and sweet dishes, it always displays its subtle flavor and smooth texture. This oily fruit is recognized because of its nutritional value and its versatility in the kitchen. It is often referred as a superfood…which is not surprising given its health properties. It is true that it has fat but it is vegetable healthy oil with no cholesterol or saturated fat! It provides essential omega- 6 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that helps stimulate hair and skin growth, regulate metabolism and maintain the reproductive system among other benefits. In addition, it also has dietary fiber, vitamin E, K, and phosphorus. 

Avocado

One of the Mediterranean´s diet main ingredients, extra virgin olive oil provides a special flavor and aroma to each dish while adding no cholesterol and almost no saturated fat. It has omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) which may help to lower total blood cholesterol and "bad cholesterol" (LDL) while increasing "good cholesterol" (HDL), therefore contributing to decreasing the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Moreover, it has vitamin E which is known to have antioxidant properties by protecting cells from free radicals. This vitamin is also involved in the immune function and other metabolic processes. That the oil is Virgin means that it has undergone less industrial processing, it is more natural. Therefore all its nutritional and organoleptic properties remain intact for your body to take advantage off!! 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Known for its unique aroma and its strong, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens with its cooking, garlic is one of the most popular ingredients in all cuisines. Some studies have shown that it has antibacterial and potential anticancer properties. Other investigations state that it may also help regulate blood pressure and make blood thinner, thus protecting the heart. So go ahead and spice up your life with garlic!

Garlic

Because of its antibacterial properties, pepper is also used to preserve food. It is a rich source of manganese, iron, potassium, vitamin-C, vitamin K, and dietary fiber. Black pepper is also a very good anti-inflammatory agent.

Ground Black Pepper

Parsley is an excellent of vitamin K and vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin A, folate and iron. Parsley's volatile oil components include myristicin, limonene, eugenol and alpha-thujene. Its flavonoids include apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol and luteolin.

Italian Parsley

Also known as koshering salt, it is specially recognized because of its flake-like shape. Even though all three salts- sea, table and kosher- contain the same amount of sodium per gram, kosher salt yields less sodium per tablespoon because of its coarser grain. In other words, it enhances the flavor of each ingredient while protecting your heart from an excessive sodium intake!!

Kosher Salt

This pseudocereal, native to South America is a great gluten-free alternative to starchy grains. The UN named 2013 the International Quinoa Year in recognition of the crop´s high nutritional content. Quinoa is a powerful source of energy and vegetarian protein, with twice the proteins of rice and barley. Another important fact (attention vegetarians!) is that it contains the nine essential amino acids, including lysine and isoleucine (absent in other crops).So it is a complete, high-quality protein! In addition, it is also a very good source of dietary fiber (covers 21% of fiber recommendation per cooked cup), folate, magnesium, manganese, zinc, vitamins B and iron. It has anti-inflammatory properties and a low glycemic index. Extra fact:  it is one of the experimental crops in NASA´s controlled ecological life-support system (CELSS) for long duration human-occupied space flights.

Quinoa

Image result for red wine vinegar health benefitsmedlicker.com Like red wine, it is free of cholesterol, fat and sodium and chock full of anti-aging antioxidants. Unlike wine however, it doesn't contain alcohol, so feel free to toast your health daily! Two important ingredients in red wine vinegar that are currently being studied are acetic acid and resveratrol.

Red Wine Vinegar

The health benefits of tomatoes include improved eye sight, good stomach health, and reduced blood pressure, as well as relief from diabetes, skin problems and urinary tract infections. Furthermore, tomatoes can increase digestion, stimulate blood circulation, reduce cholesterol levels, improve fluid balance, protect the kidneys, detoxify the body, prevent premature aging, and reduce inflammation and related conditions. Tomatoes consist of a large number of antioxidants that have been proven to fight different forms of cancer. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and exerts a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases.

Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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