What is it? I don't know about you, but I didn't grow up eating quinoa, and in fact I hadn't even heard of it until about a year ago. Pronounced "KEEN-wah" (or "kee-NO-wah"), it's often treated as a grain (because of how we cook it), but it's actually in the same family as spinach and Swiss chard.
Nutrition. Quinoa is a great choice for food storage (and everyday cooking in general) because it has great nutritional value. Quinoa has a similar nutritional value to brown rice: it is a carb that is high in protein (higher than brown rice), and is actually a complete protein source (it has a "balanced set of of essential amino acids for humans", according to wikipedia.). Quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber, and phosphorus, and is also high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.
How do you prepare it? Quinoa is a great alternative to rice and couscous - it is fluffy and light when cooked, and has a mild, nutty flavor. In fact, most people cook quinoa just like they cook rice - boil 2 cups of water for each cup of grains. You can even use your rice cooker. Quinoa has a slight bite to it when ready (similar to al dente pasta). You can also season it any way you wish - adding vegetables, chicken stock, etc. You can also make quinoa for breakfast, seasoning it as you would season oatmeal. Quinoa flour can be used in gluten-free baking.
As you can see, quinoa is extremely versatile. The only downside is that it can be quite pricey (try buying it in bulk if you can - I'm pretty sure "Whole Foods" has some in their bulk section).
What's your favorite way to fix quinoa? Any recommendations/suggestions?
(thanks to wikipedia for providing most of the information in this post!) :)
Quinoa needs to be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to remove the outer coating (I forget what it's called, but it's bitter). I love to cook it with chicken broth and carmelized veggies. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was going to ask too.....I've heard about it being bitter. And then some have told me there is Quinoa that you buy already prepared and rinsed. How do I know the difference?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the questions about it needing to be rinsed!
ReplyDeleteFrom what I gathered in my reading, most pre-packaged quinoa is ready to be cooked. So, I'm assuming that if you buy it in bulk from a health food store, it should probably be rinsed first to get rid of any bitter-tasting residue that it might have on it. Hope that helps!
Just saw a great recipe on another blog, Multiply Delcious, for Grilled Veggie Quinoa...check it out. It looks delicious! I haven't tried it yet but I want to! :) http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/04/grilled-vegetable-carrot-quinoa/
ReplyDeleteI buy it in bulk. Soak it in hot water overnight and it will be easier to rinse the next morning.
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