Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is an ancient food from South America that is just beginning to find some popularity in North America. And it’s about time, we say! Many Marilu.com members have fallen for quinoa – it’s versatile, it’s easy to prepare, and it packs a huge protein punch.

Some of the information here is adapted from this article by Karen Railey. Find even more information and recipes from The Quinoa Corporation.

The Basics

Quinoa has been cultivated in the South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. Each year at planting time it was traditional for the Inca leader to plant the first quinoa seed using a solid gold shovel!

Technically quinoa is not a grain, but the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it’s cooking characteristics. The name comes from the Greek words, chen (a goose) and pous (a foot). This is due to a resemblance of the leaves of the plant to the webbed foot of a goose. The flower heads are branched and when in seed looks much like millet, with large clusters of seeds at the end of a stalk. Beets, spinach, Swiss chard, and lamb’s quarters are all relatives of quinoa.

Quinoa grains range in color from ivory to pinks, brown to reds, or almost black depending on the variety. There are over 120 species of Chenopodium, but only three main varieties are cultivated; one producing very pale seeds, called the white or sweet variety; a dark red fruited variety called red quinoa; and a black quinoa.

Quinoa has a delightful characteristic that is all it’s own: as it cooks, the outer germ around each grain twists outward forming a little white, spiral, which is attached to the kernel – each individual grain kind of looks like Saturn. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is just a little crunchy which creates and interesting texture combination and pleasant “crunch” when eating the grain.

Quinoa has a fluffy consistency and a mild, delicate, slightly nutty flavor that borders on bland. The leaves of the Goosefoot (quinoa) plant are also edible and make a pleasant vegetable, like spinach. A quinoa leaf salad is generally more nutritious that most green salads. Quinoa leaves are not yet easy to find in American grocery stores (but maybe if we start asking?).

Cooking Quinoa

Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed to remove their bitter resin-like coating, which is called saponin. Quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged and sold, but it is best to rinse again at home before use to remove any of the powdery residue that may remain on the seeds. The presence of saponin is obvious by the production of a soapy looking “suds” when the seeds are swished in water. Placing quinoa in a strainer and rinsing thoroughly with water easily washes the saponin from the seeds. (People who don’t think they like quinoa did not rinse it well enough. That’s our theory, anyway. Just take the extra minute to do a good job of rinsing, and you won’t regret it. At all.)

Cooked quinoa, like all grains, is extremely versatile. It is excellent in hot casseroles and soups, stews, in stir-fries, or cold in salads. The seeds cook very quickly, in only 15 minutes. Uncooked seeds may be added to soups and stews as you would barley or rice and quinoa is often substituted for rice in rice dishes. Dry roasting quinoa in a pan or in the oven, before cooking (ah, but after that really good rinse!) will give a toasted flavor, and it can be cooked in fruit juice to add character to the flavor for use as a breakfast cereal or in desserts. Cold salads consisting of quinoa and chopped vegetables or cooked beans make a quick, easy, and nutritious dish. Quinoa flour is used in making pasta and a variety of baked goods such as pancakes, bread, muffins, and crackers.

Nutritional Information

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine, and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.

Some types of wheat come close to matching quinoa’s protein content, but grains such as barley, corn, and rice generally have less than half the protein of quinoa. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a child’s protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and fiber.

Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues. Quinoa is gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity.

Sprouting

If you love sprouts, you’ll love knowing that quinoa seeds can be sprouted and eaten as raw, live food for snacks or in salads and sandwiches. To sprout the seeds, soak about 1/3 cup seeds in a jar for 2 to 4 hours, then drain and rinse the seeds twice a day for 2 to 4 days. When the sprouts are about 1 inch long, place them near a window for chlorophyll to develop, which will give them a vibrant green color. Another fascinating way of using quinoa is to “pop” the seeds in a dry skillet and eat them as a dry cereal.

Storage

Due to the relatively high oil and fat content of quinoa, the grains and flour should be stored in glass jars in the refrigerator. Use the grains within a year and flour within 3 months.

Recipes

3 of them… click on More to see them!

Quinoa with Green Beans
Serves 4 * Blue Week

1 cup quinoa
9 oz green beans
2 cloves garlic
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons vegetable stock
1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Wash the quinoa very well to remove the soapy-tasting substance in the outer coat.

Clean the green beans and slice into 1-inch lengths. Chop the garlic finely.

Place quinoa and vegetable stock in a saucepan. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add green beans and tomatoes with their juice. Simmer 5 minutes more, covered, then add garlic and cook, covered, until beans and quinoa are soft, stirring occasionally.

Season to taste with basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve hot or cold.

Edamame and Asparagus Quinoa
Serves 4 * Blue

1 cup quinoa
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
1 cup shelled edamame (from the frozen foods section)

Rinse quinoa really well in a strainer under running water. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and 2 cups water (or vegetable stock) to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 3-4 minutes). Add asparagus and cook, stirring often, until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in vinegar, tamari and edamame. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Reduce heat and cover.

Fluff quinoa with fork and transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Add asparagus mixture and toss to mix. Serve hot.

Quick Lemon and Garlic Quinoa Salad
Serves 6 * Blue

1 cup dry quinoa
8 cups water
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons tamari (or Braggs Liquid Aminos)

Rinse quinoa with warm water and drain through fine strainer. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add salt and quinoa to boiling water. Boil for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from heat and drain quinoa through a large strainer (in the same way you would prepare pasta).

Prepare dressing and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, seeds and parsley. You can also add chopped broccoli, or other veggies of choice. Add cooked quinoa and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Recipes courtesy of Marilu Henner. Copyright © 2009 Hennergy, Inc. All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 6:28 am and is filed under Menu suggestions, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.