You may or may not be familiar with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). It is relatively new to most people, but has been cultivated in South America for more than 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 it is actually a seed of a green leafy plant distantly related to spinach.
It is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids, which is unusual for a plant. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscles and are necessary for proper growth, maintenance, and repair of the body. This makes quinoa ideal for vegans and vegetarians who may have a hard time getting adequate protein.
It is extremely versatile and can be used in salads, stews, soups, and stir fries. It is also great as a hot breakfast cereal. It is much lighter than grains and starchy foods, so it doesn’t feel sluggish or too full after eating it. Qualities that have made it 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 have tried red quinoa, which is naturally firmer than yellow / white, it is nice from time to time, but personally I prefer the more common yellow / white variety.
Vitamin and mineral content
In addition to the excellent protein content of quinoa, 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 of the commercially available quinoa has already been rinsed out, 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 quinoa is determined by how long you cook it. It is cooked in much the same way as you would rice, using twice the amount of water as the grain, so 1 cup of quinoa for 2 cups of water. Letting it cook for 10 minutes and then turning off the heat and setting it aside to absorb the leftover liquid will give it a fluffy texture. Or if you want a firmer, nutty texture, remove from heat after ten minutes and rinse with cold water for a second or two, to prevent overcooking.
Here’s a tip to speed up the cooking time
I recently started soaking the quinoa in a bowl overnight and then rinsing and draining it before cooking. Soaking overnight really speeds up the cook time, about 6 minutes!
A basic quinoa recipe
There are endless recipes for quinoa, but I like this basic one better.
Will need:
– 1 cup 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 the water to a boil and add the diced broth.
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 the saucepan and sauté while you rinse the quinoa.
4. Raise the heat to high and add the quinoa and boiling water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat 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 has been almost completely absorbed, remove from heat, add ground black pepper, mix and let it absorb the remaining liquid.
This recipe is a great replacement for rice, pasta, or potatoes in any dish. It also keeps quite well in the refrigerator, but is best used within a day or two or for cooking.
So I hope you enjoyed this article and decide to try quinoa. I have many more articles on my free health and fitness site (link is below) that include the many health benefits of coconut oil. Feel free to check it out.