Quinoa—An Ancient Grain
From obscurity to infamy, the heralded ancient grain, quinoa is found in a vast number of good-for-you food products. Such fame, and yet so few people know how to pronounce it.
It’s “keen-wah,” you’re welcome.
Native to South America, this “grain” is actually a seed. Quinoa was once called “the gold of the Incas” because this tribe recognized its ability to increase the stamina of its warriors.
What makes quinoa so special? Quinoa is not only a gluten-free source of protein—it’s a COMPLETE protein, meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino acids the body needs to function, yet is unable to produce on its own. Eating quinoa, therefore, is sort of “one stop shopping” when it comes to collecting the vital building blocks needed to repair your bones and muscles, as well as to replenish your hormones and digestive enzymes.
The process of preparing quinoa is similar to that of cooking rice or barley. The dry “grains” are added to boiling water (or broth) and simmered until softened. You’ll need to “fluff up” the quinoa with a fork after it’s finished cooking, just as you do when preparing couscous (a tiny pasta “grain”).
Quinoa is an exciting food, not because it’s naturally good tasting* (believe me, it needs a supporting cast of flavorful characters), but because it’s healthy, versatile, AND you can hide it in a number of dishes!
Once cooked, here’s some of the ways you can incorporate this complete protein into your meal plans:
- Toss it with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro and dress it with some olive oil and lime juice, S&P.
- Blend it into your burger, taco, or meatloaf mix.
- Sprinkle it onto salads or in between your lunch meat.
- Combine it with diced, steamed butternut squash and zucchini adding some curry/cumin seasonings.
- Stir it into soups or stews
These days you can find quinoa as an added ingredient in packaged foods such as tortilla chips, granola, or cereals. This ancient of grains has truly become a modern-day food star!
*Note: Quinoa’s outer shell can make this grain take on a taste bitter when prepared. To “fix” this distasteful problem, run the dry grains under hot water before cooking.