Have you heard of Quinoa?? I just discovered it! We ate it at girls camp last week as a substitution to oatmeal. They served it warm and offered brown sugar on the side. It has a different taste, but after a while I found that I actually enjoy it!
I've been doing some research and this is what I've found:
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a grain that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa's origins are truly ancient. It was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization. Quinoa was known then, and still is known, with respect, as the mother grain. We call it the "Supergrain of the Future."
Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for rice, 9.9 percent for millet, and 14 percent for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 percent protein.
Quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal ... similar to milk!
Quinoa's protein is high in lysine, methionine and cystine. This makes it an excellent food to combine with, and boost the protein value of, other grains (which are low in lysine), or soy (which is low in methionine and cystine).
Besides its unique protein, quinoa also provides starch, sugars, oil (high in essential linoleic acid), fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavor all its own.
Quick and Simple to Prepare
A whole-grain dish of quinoa takes just 15 minutes.
Versatile
Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe. It looks and tastes great on its own, or in any dish from soup to salad.
Perfect for Summertime
Many people eat grains only during the colder months, but quinoa's lightness combined with its versatility in cold dishes like salads and desserts makes it an ideal source of good summertime nutrition.
Kids love it!
Quinoa is an excellent source of nutrition for infants and children.
Cool Things About Quinoa
* It’s an American food. Nobody had to cross an ocean and bring it back. In fact, it still grows wild in on the slopes of the Andes.
* Quinoa’s natural defense against hungry birds looking for a cheap snack is to coat their tasty seeds with saponins. Saponins are bitter, and they get foamy if you shake them up in water. Soap. Yum! Anyway, in order to make quinoa palatable, smart humans learned to soak the quinoa in several changes of water before using. In modern times, bored food scientists decided to create a hybrid low in saponins. They succeeded, and in one season, the birds ate ALL the quinoa. Ha!
* It is nutritionally complete. Quinoa has the highest percentage of protein of all grains–18-20%. It also is a complete protein, containing all the amino acids humans need. The Incas called it the “Mother of All Grains,” and it was their second most important food source, behind potatoes.
Here's some recipes to try!
Basic Recipe
This light and wholesome grain may be prepared quickly and easily with this basic method. 2 cups water 1 cup quinoa
Place quinoa and water in a 1-½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).
You will know that the quinoa is done when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Makes 3 cups.
Hot Breakfast Cereal
Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1 cup quinoa, reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup thinly sliced apples, 1/3 cup raisins, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and simmer until water is absorbed. Serve with milk or cream and sweeten to taste with honey or brown sugar.
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup quinoa
1 Tbs safflower oil
½ cup carrots, diced
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup celery, diced
½ cup cabbage, chopped
2 Tbs onions, chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ cup green pepper, diced parsley, chopped
Sauté quinoa, carrots, celery, onions, green pepper and garlic in oil until golden brown. Add water, tomatoes and cabbage and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Season to taste and garnish with parsley. Serves 4-6. This is a very basic recipe for quinoa vegetable soup. For variations try adding some of your other favorite vegetables, chopped and sautéed. Quinoa can be a welcome addition to just about any type of soup.
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