You may or may not be familiar with quinoa (pronounced here). It is relatively new to most people, but it has been cultivated in South America for over 5,000 years. The ancient Incas considered it sacred, referring to it as the “mother grain”.
So why should you eat quinoa?
Quinoa is used as a grain, but is actually a seed of a leafy green plant distantly related to spinach.
It is a complete protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids, which is unusual for a plant. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle and are necessary for proper growth, maintenance, and repair of the body. This makes quinoa ideal for vegans and vegetarians who may find it difficult to get adequate protein.
It is extremely versatile and can be used in salads, stews, soups, and stir-fries. It’s also great as a hot breakfast cereal. It’s much lighter than grains and starchy foods, so you won’t feel sluggish or overly full after eating it. Qualities that have made her popular with athletes and celebrities.
Varieties
The most popular and readily available quinoa is the yellowish/white variety, but there are quite a few varieties on the market, including red, orange, black, and purple. I’ve tried red quinoa, which is naturally firmer than yellow/white, it’s nice once in a while, but I personally prefer the more common yellow/white variety.
Vitamin and mineral content
In addition to quinoa’s excellent protein content, it also contains:
– magnesium
– B1 (Thiamine)
– B2 (Riboflavin)
– B6 (pyridoxine)
– zinc
-Match
Taste and texture
Quinoa has a protective outer layer of bitter-tasting saponins that must be removed before eating. Traditionally this was done by rinsing and soaking for a few hours and then repeating. Fortunately, most commercially available quinoa has already been rinsed, removing the saponins. I still rinse the seeds in a fine mesh strainer and then let them drain for a minute before cooking.
The texture of the quinoa is determined by how long you cook it. It cooks in much the same way as you would rice, using twice as much water as grain, ie 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. Allowing it to cook for 10 minutes and then turning off the heat and reserving to absorb the excess liquid will give it a soft and fluffy texture. Or if you want a firmer texture with more nuts, remove from heat after ten minutes and rinse under cold water for a second or two, to prevent further cooking.
Here’s a tip to speed up cooking time
I recently started soaking quinoa in a bowl overnight, and then rinsed and drained it before cooking. Soaking overnight really speeds up the cooking time, about 6 minutes!
A basic quinoa recipe
There are endless recipes for quinoa, but I like this basic one the best.
Will need:
– 1 cup of quinoa
– 2 cups of boiling water (reduce the water if the quinoa was soaked overnight)
– 1/2 onion
– 1/2 red pepper
– 1/2 cube of organic vegetable broth
– freshly ground black pepper to taste
– coconut oil
1. Bring water to a boil and add the bouillon cubes.
2. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a saucepan or pot over medium heat.
3. Chop the onions and red bell pepper in a small food processor or by hand if you don’t have a small food processor. Add to saucepan and sauté while rinsing quinoa.
4. Turn up the heat and add the quinoa and boiling water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium again. If you have previously soaked the quinoa cook for about 6 minutes, having used less water it should be absorbed in this time, otherwise cook for 10 minutes.
5. When the water is almost completely absorbed, remove from heat and add ground black pepper, mix, then allow to absorb any remaining liquid.
This recipe is great as a substitute for rice, pasta, or potatoes in any dish. It also keeps pretty well in the fridge, but it’s best to use within a day or two or cook.
So I hope you enjoyed this article and decide to give quinoa a try. I have many more articles on my free health and fitness site (link is below), including the many health benefits of coconut oil. Feel free to check it out.