Get Keen On Quinoa!
I LOVE QUINOA!!!
So much so, that I thought I’d tell everyone to jump on the band wagon with me. My love affair with quinoa started around six years ago and I have never felt the need to buy rice ever since. Quinoa is versatile, very affordable and comes in white and red varieties so it really does tick all the right boxes.
Although it has been available over here for quite a short period of time, quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that originated in South America and has been eaten there for around 5000 years plus. Many consider quinoa to be a grain but it is in fact a seed (if it is soaked and planted, it will begin to sprout little green shoots).
I must admit, quinoa can have a bit of a nutty after taste at times that I was not overly keen on at first,but I have found a way to eliminate that and I will reveal those secrets to you a bit later on. I now my result isnothing less than 100% tasty meals with the kind of nutritional benefits that would even leave brown rice feeling green with envy! Here are just some of quinoa’s many attributes:
- Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs and can not produce on its own. There’s no need to look for high quality protein anywhere else when it’s all right here in this one humble seed!
- It has a low glycemic index so it wont spike blood sugar levels and keeps you feeling fuller for longer
- Quinoa is gluten free making it perfect for those who suffer from celiac disease or those who usually feel bloated after eating carbs. What, barley, corn and rice all contain gluten so quinoa is a great alternative.
- It is a good source of magnesium which is vital for energy production and nerve function. Magnesium also aids in relaxing muscles, which can be very useful when recovering from sports related injuries.
I could go on and on about the benefits but I’d end up writing an epic, so I’ll move on and get right to the good stuff…
Now I know it can be a bit inconvenient learning how to incorporate a new food in to your everyday regime, especially if, like me, cooking is not at the top of your ‘to do’ list. I like most of my healthy food to also be fast food, so here are my 6 steps to Quick Convenient Quinoa Cuisine:
- Rinse your quinoa well before you cook it. Quinoa is coated in a natural chemical called saponin which can give it a bitter taste (that’s the ‘nutty’ flavour I metioned earlier). This is to deter animals from eating it in the wild. I recommend putting the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve or muslin cloth and washing it under the cold watter tap until the water runs clear.
- Boil quinoa as you would rice at a ratio of 1:1.5, so that’s one cup of quinoa to 1½ cups water. You can always add more water if it evaporates too quickly or starts to burn.
- Feel free to enhance your quinoa with flavour while it cooks, butter, coconut oil, sea salt, mixed herbs and pepper all work well. I sometimes like to crush a clove of fresh garlic and some chopped onions in to mine.
- As the quinoa expands and soaks up the water, it will start to sprout tiny little curly tails after about 15-20 minutes. This means it’s ready to eat. Try it soft or al-dente to see which you prefer the most.
- Quinoa goes with just about everything, so treat it just as you would rice. Meat, fish, grilled veg or a green salad, anything goes!
- If you have any leftovers after you’ve eaten, wait for it to cool to room temperature before putting the remainder in the fridge. It will keep well for up to 3 days.
So if you haven’t already tried quinoa, I urge you to take advantage of this guilt free pleasure!
words by Shelly Winford
