(Photo by Chris)
I discovered quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) about two years ago. It has been gaining popularity regularly and is now said to be the super food of 2013. Quinoa is full of protein, fiber, iron and other vitamins. It is easy to cook. Just toast it in a dry pan for a few minutes until it starts to pop and you can smell the aroma. Then rinse it. Doing this will make it less bitter. Then, just cook it in water, juice or broth just as you would rice or any other grain. Quinoa tends to pick up the flavor of whatever you cook it in, so if I don’t have broth, I usually add a bouillon cube for flavor. I don’t eat a lot of meat so this is a perfect grain to give you your protein at a meatless meal. A lot of times, instead of pasta I will make quinoa. Then I top the quinoa with sauteed vegetables and some pasta sauce. Add a little feta or Parmesan cheese and you have a nice easy, healthy and delicious meal. Leftover quinoa is great for breakfast as well. Just heat it up, add some milk, walnuts (or any nut you like), cinnamon or fruit and you are set to tackle your day. However, if you cooked the quinoa with a bouillon cube or broth it doesn’t taste quite so good. If you want to make quinoa just for breakfast, you should cook it plain and then add some vanilla or almond extract when preparing it for breakfast or cook it in a juice such as apple or grape juice and it will take on the flavor of the juice. Below are two links. The first will tell you more about quinoa and it’s benefits and the second is a link to 15 recipes to get you started…
7 Benefits of Quinoa: The Supergrain of the Future
Quinoa dates back three to four thousand years ago when the Incas first realized that the quinoa seed was fit for human consumption. According to WHFoods quinoa “was the gold of the Incas” because the Incas believed it …
Cooking with Quinoa: 15 Recipes – Cooking Light
High in protein and fiber, quinoa [KEEN-wah] is not only versatile, it also tastes wonderful and has a nice crunch. Find 15 delicious recipes for cooking with this ancient whole grain.