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Posts tagged under Quinoa. 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.
Keen for Quinoa
This summer I’ve been turning my quinoa into salads. The nutty taste pairs well with almost any flavour and right now I’m enjoying it with cucumbers, dill, almonds and a touch of feta, although it’s delicious even without the cheese.
I love that quinoa allows me to serve a protein dense meal for dinner without firing up the grill, or turning on the stove, to cook some meat. The kids haven’t always loved it, but they’re adapting and as long as the add-ins are well liked, the meal is eaten.
Oh, and another interesting thing about quinoa is that it can be added to almost any baked good without changing the texture and flavour too much. So far I’ve tossed it into my pancake batter, cookies and even a cake, and the results were great. I started by adding half a cup to a standard recipe, and I’m up to a full one in the pancakes now.
This month on EatSavvy we featured a blueberry, corn and quinoa salad for toddlers, but honestly, I ate it for lunch several days in a row, allowing me to make use of some of my favourite seasonal produce. I also submitted this recipe for quinoa, blackberry and pistachio salad to the SavvyStories channel and it was a huge hit with our readers.
Here are a few other ‘salad’ combinations I like to make with quinoa:
- Dried cranberry, celery, lemon vinaigrette
- Diced apple, aged cheddar, walnut
- Grated carrots, blueberries, orange dressing
- Black beans, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, dollop of salsa
- Sliced zucchini, corn, tomatoes, basil dressing
- Pieces of chicken, baby spinach, peas, lemon zest
If quinoa isn’t too your liking, feel free to make a grain salad with barley, faro or rice instead.
Is your family keen on quinoa? How are you serving it these days?
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