Have you tried Quinoa?

By : admin | 0 Comments | On : January 5, 2010 | Category : General

We were walking through the aisles of Costco in December when I saw a bag that looked like couscous. Upon closer inspection the bag said it was Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). It appears to be a grain, but is not. It is an ancient food from the South American Andes. The ancient Incas called it the mother grain. It is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant with high nutritional properties. The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains a balance of all eight essential amino acids making it a complete protein. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids. Additional information can be found here or google it yourself.

The package had sat on the shelf through the holidays waiting for a try in our kitchen. Last night we tested it out instead of having couscous or a rice to balance the rest of the plate. Preparation was simple with 1 cup of Quinoa to 2 cups of water ratio. I added 1 onion (diced and sauteed), 1/4 cup of Parmesan, olive oil, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. We were satisfied with the flavor and consistency. I still prefer couscous, but you can’t beat the nutritional benefits here.

Give it a try this year and tell us what you think.

Share This Post!