More About Quinoa
In case you are still unsure, the pronunciation is “keen-wah”. It is often referred to as an ancient grain because it is believed to have been grown for the last 5000 years in the South of America. But, quinoa only appeared on the Western food scene in the last two decades. The popularity spiked when quinoa was named “International Crop of the Year” by the UN in 2013.
The Whole Grain Council defines an ancient grain as ‘grains that have not been changed or modified in the last several hundred years’. These include amaranth, sorghum, quinoa, millet, teff, buckwheat and sometimes also wild rice. This list excludes modern wheat, maize and a few other grains that have been modified.
Quinoa is really good for our bodies and it is one of the few plants that is a complete protein. A food is considered to be a complete protein if it contains the correct amounts of the nine of the essential amino acids that our bodies are not able to produce on their own. Amino acids can be thought of as the building blocks of protein. Some other awesome bits about quinoa:
- It is gluten-free.
- It is nutrient-dense and has anti-inflammatory qualities.
- It is a good source of folate, magnesium, zinc and iron.
- The protein and fibre in quinoa will make you feel fuller for longer.
- One cup (185g) of cooked quinoa contains 39g of carbohydrates, 8g protein and 5.2 g of dietary fibre. This is about 18-20% of your recommended daily fibre intake.
Cooking Quinoa
There are many schools of thought when it comes to cooking quinoa. As a rule you can work on 1 cup of quinoa : 2 cups of liquid to yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
I’ve tried various methods and personally I prefer the following way:
Soak 1 cup of uncooked white quinoa for an hour or overnight. Rinse thoroughly before covering 1 cup of quinoa with 1 ¾ cup of vegetable stock. The vegetable stock adds a unique layer of flavour to your nutty quinoa. Stir once, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until cooked – for about 9 -12 minutes – but still retaining a bite. Drain, refresh under running cold water and set aside to dry well. You may want to spread out your quinoa on a flat tray or plate to cool it down faster.
Zesty Basil & Lemon Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Place the cooked quinoa, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, sumac, honey or maple syrup and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Mix well to ensure all the wonderful flavours infuse into the quinoa. Taste and season if necessary, then set aside.
- In another bowl, mix the tahini, garlic, water, lemon juice and honey or maple syrup, then season to taste.
- Plate up the salad, sprinkle over the tahini drizzle and top with roasted almonds.
Notes
