Looking for a healthier and more flavorful alternative to rice? Well if you haven’t heard of it yet, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) cooks as fast as rice and has the highest nutritional profile of any grain. For breakfast, lunch or dinner, quinoa is versatile and can serve as the main protein source in any meal (very useful for vegetarians and vegans). It is an extremely high-energy grain, and has been grown and consumed for about 8,000 years on the high plains of the Andes Mountains in South America.<\/p>\n
Reasons to love it:
\n\u2022 Is a complete protein containing all 8 amino acids.
\n\u2022 Has the same protein content as milk.
\n\u2022 Contains B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium and vitamin E.
\n\u2022 Is gluten-free and easy to digest.
\n\u2022 Serves as an ideal food source for endurance.
\n\u2022 Helps strengthen the kidneys, heart and lungs.<\/p>\n
So if you want to give quinoa a try, it must be rinsed before cooking to remove the naturally
\noccurring bitter coating, called saponin. Saponin, when removed from
\nquinoa, produces a soapy solution in water (so that’s natural if you notice it). Quinoa is usually rinsed before it
\nis packaged and sold at the store, but it’s best to rinse again at home. Store dry,
\nuncooked quinoa in a cool, dry and dark place in a tightly closed glass jar
\nfor up to one year.<\/p>\n
As a time saver, cook a lot of quinoa at once and eat it for several meals. It
\ncan be easily reheated with a splash of milk for breakfast
\nporridge, and you can add dried fruit, nuts and cinnamon for a sweet treat. Consider mixing it with finely chopped raw vegetables and dressing for a cooling salad, or
\nadd chopped cooked root vegetables for a warming side dish. When quinoa is cooked, the outer germ surrounding the seed breaks open to form a crunchy coil while the inner grain becomes soft and translucent. This double texture makes it delicious and kind of fun to eat, too!<\/p>\n
Here’s a basic quinoa recipe to try tonight:
\nPrep Time: 2 minutes
\nCooking Time: 15-20 minutes
\nServes 4<\/p>\n
Ingredients:
\n1 cup quinoa
\n2 cups water
\nseasonings to taste<\/p>\n
Directions:
\n\u2022 Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa with cool water until the water runs clear.
\n\u2022 Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil.
\n\u2022 Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook covered for 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.
\n\u2022 Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes covered, then fluff with a fork.
\n\u2022 Add seasonings to your liking.<\/p>\n
Or for a delicious toasted flavor, dry roast for 5 minutes in saucepan before adding liquid, and enjoy!<\/p>\n
Recipe courtesy of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Looking for a healthier and more flavorful alternative to rice? Well if you haven’t heard of it yet, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) cooks as fast as rice and has the highest nutritional profile of any grain. For breakfast, lunch or dinner,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n