Posts tagged under Grains. Show all posts.
It’s keen-wa, not kin-o-a, and it’s my new fave side dish. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a grain-like crop, grown for its edible seeds. It has a light, fluffy texture when it is cooked, much like couscous or white rice (which is what I have been using it in place of), but its mild, nutty flavour is much more interesting. It’s available in most grocery stores now and it only takes about 12 minutes to cook, so it’s handy to add to any meal. It’s gluten-free and much higher in protein that most grains, so it’s a great nutritional addition.
You can cook it in chicken stock for a little flavour, use it in place of pasta for a cold summer salad or add it to soups and pasta sauces as you would barley. Every summer, I make up big batches of what we call Quinoa Greek Rainbow Salad (which was inspired by this recipe but I use lots more lemon, mint, olives and feta than they specified), and bring it in for lunch in the office, or use it as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish.
For breakfast, I even enjoy it with some berries, nuts and honey, instead of the usual oatmeal porridge. It’s my new superfood! Have you tried quinoa?
I have a little secret. Quinoa is not really a grain. It’s a seed. But it looks, tastes and feels like a grain, and everyone is calling it a ‘super grain’ so I think we are OK to call it that too. Whether you want to call it a seed or a grain is really up to you, but I strongly recommend you try the recipes on EatSavvy this month. They are seriously super!
I am a relatively new fan of quinoa so I was pleasantly surprised when our food editor, Denise Smith rounded up these four very different ways to enjoy it. I didn’t know how diverse this little super food was but I am quite sure my family will enjoy each one of the recipes—from a hot steamy morning cereal to a hearty chili on a cold winter night. I wish I knew about the warm quinoa with fruit when my kids were younger as I know I would have used that as an option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Try this protein-rich ingredient in your meals this week—it will make you feel good.
Quinoa, is an excellent source of protein and many people are unaware of it’s nutritional values.
Just make sure you drain it really well.
Love the chili recipe, going to try and make it in my
crockpot - to save time….
Comments
Looks like we have lots of quinoa fans.
Cookies - what a great idea.
Vicky - please share your pea salad recipe!
thanks
love love quinoa.
It is SO SO good for you and so versatile too!!
I have a curried pea quinoa salad recipe that is my fav.