A Versatile, Nutritious, and Tasty Grain
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a native of Peru where it grows both wild and under cultivation for centuries begining with the Incas. It is technically a pseudo-cereal since it is not a member of the grass family, but rather produces seeds (usually called berries) which can be cooked or ground into flour. Quinoa imparts a light nutty flavor to dishes. It enhances soups, stews, and rice dishes. Although widely thought of as a grain, Quinoa is actually related to Spinach and Chard.
How I Discovered This Tasty Berry
Several years ago, when my husband was first diagnosed with a wheat allergy, I began searching for suitable replacements for my baking and cooking. I had seen bags of Quinoa in the grocery store before but never paid very much attention to it. After reading a cookbook geared towards allergen-free baking and reading about Quinoa, I decided to try it out. Wow! This is one tasty and handy ingredient to keep in the pantry. We've learned how to make tortillas (so easy) with Quinoa flour, use it in all of our soups and stews, and enjoy hot Quinoa cereal with maple syrup on chilly winter mornings. I've also found commercially made Quinoa crackers which can be crushed up for breading on meats and can turn out a quick crust for desserts. "The Gold of The Incas"
Quinoa was the most valuable crop of the Incas. Warriors were sustained by eating a mixture of Quinoa and fat called "War Balls". It kept them very well nourished and capable of enduring long marches.
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Quinoa
:For the town with a similar name, see Quinua, Peru. "Quinoa" is also a title of a 1992 music album by Tangerine Dream.
Quinoa ( KEEN-wah or KEE-no-uh, Spanish quinua) is a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium) grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal as it is not a grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.
Quinoa 101 With Dani Spies
Quinoa:101
Dani explains the benefits of this nutritious Super Food!!
Runtime: 3:51
3582 views
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Cookbooks Featuring Quinoa
Boost Your Protein With Quinoa
Nutritional Information
You'll Need To See It For Yourself........
Also, most books say that Quinoa flour isn't really great for breading, but I've discovered that if you cook it first (like a cracker or torilla) and then smash it up, it works really well!
Different Types of Quinoa Products Are Available
Tortillas and Tortilla Chips
Quinoa flour makes really good tortillas! Just mix the quinoa flour with water and use a tortilla press to flatten. Oven bake just a touch for a wrap or burrito or fry for a corn tortilla. You can even cut the tortillas in to pieces and refry until crispy for your own yummy chips!
Raw Quinoa
To clean, put the quinoa into a fine strainer and run water through it, or stir it in a bowl of cold water and pour it through a clean kitchen towel. Repeat the process until the water runs clear and is no longer sudsy. This is not necessary with Quinoa flour.
How To Cook Quinoa
From Cookus Interruptus
Handy Gadgets For Cooking Quinoa
SOUP!
If you're making home-made soup in your Crock Pot or slow cooker, just add in a handful of plain Quinoa seeds at the begining. They cook beautifully and do not alter the flavor of the soup at all.
My Favorite Soup
My Easy and Delicious Vegetable Soup Crock Pot Recipe
In the morning, fill your crockpot about half full with prepared vegetable broth, turn the pot on high and add a handful of washed whole Quinoa, 1/4 cup of dry brown rice (not minute or instant rice), a Tablespoon of wild rice, a handful of mixed dry beans (I like mini fava beans, white beans, kidneys, garbanzo beans, and anasazi beans), 1 cup of chopped carrot, 1/2 cup of chopped celery, and add in whatever other veggies you'd like - we use torn spinach leaves, parsley, diced turnips and beets, and onions. Season with just a touch of sea salt, some black pepper, and celery salt. Let it simmer all day and viola' perfect dinner soup! One tip - if you want to add peas, wait until a few minutes before serving and then just toss in some frozen ones, that works the best.
More Online Resources For You
- Cooking With Quinoa
- A well-written Associated Content article.
- Quinoa and Sunchoke Pilaf
- A yummy recipe on About.com
- Colorado Quinoa
- This versatile crop is now being grown in Colorado. This article from Front Range Living has some great tips on cooking Quinoa.
- Purdue University
- The university maintains a large database of Quinoa information, recipes, nutritional information, and lots more.
- The Healthiest Foods In The World
- Amazing online resource with recipes, ideas, tips, nutritional information, research, and more.
Let's Talk About Quinoa!
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thehealthydancer
I really like this unique lens. I am a teacher of health and active lifestyle and this is exactly the kind of stuff I like to promote. Posted August 20, 2008 |
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weeburty
I really enjoyed reading your lens, well presented and very informative, especially Posted July 30, 2008 |
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KellsCreations
Great lens. We love quinoa at our house, too. Thanks for the tips and recipes. Posted July 30, 2008 |
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WritingforYourWealth
Nice. I'd never heard of quinoa until I was diagnosed as gluten intolerant, and now I see it in all sorts of gluten free foods. Versatile stuff. :) Posted July 23, 2008 |
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garywgoldstein
The best lens I've seen so far about Quinoa. Great job! Posted July 21, 2008 |
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