I finally got around to picking some quinoa up from Whole Foods. You can get it bulk there for $2.49/lb. or buy it prepackaged for $1.69 for a pound bag. Both are organic, so I went for prepack. I’ve been hearing alot of buzz about this stuff. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is this ancient super grain that is unusually complete in protein(has all 8 amino acids). Sounds good for you vegetarians out there. I’m no nutrition anthro…. encyclopedia, so here’s what wikipedia has to say about the nutritional qualities:
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one’s needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
Well if it’s good enough for the astronaut’s, it’s good enough for me. I love freeze dried ice cream! The real question is whether or not it can replace my white rice I live off of. In fact, you’re supposed to cook with this stuff just like rice.
Preparing steamed quinoa:
- Wash the quinoa in cold water. Same thing you do with rice- it gets off any coatings, etc. I’d suggest running water through it with a very small strainer. These things like to float, so be careful not to accidentally pour them down the sink. Maybe try to spritz a little water in there to get them a little wet before you turn the faucet onto it.
- Throw it in your rice pot. 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water.
- Hit the “cook” button.
Continue reading “Quinoa- the super grain. Basic steamed preparation and first impressions.”