Quinoa

On a recent assignment, I had to write about quinoa.

When I used to live in a small town in California, healthier eating was the norm. So, I recall making quinoa a few times for gatherings knowing that the people would enjoy such a healthy dish. They would gobble it down, and go for seconds. For some reason, I never tried any.

Well, it took for this article for me to realize how healthy quinoa is and the amazing history of this grain. It is supposed to be easy on the digestive track, gluten-free, loaded with protein, good fats, amino acids and energy! It was found at an elevation of 9800 feet in the Andes, where the Incas used to plant it! Think of it. Life is amazing! It truly provides what we need. If you were a resident of that altitude, llama or human, Mother Nature provides what you need to survive!

Quinoa looks like tiny cream-colored beads that turn translucent when cooked. It cooks a lot like rice, only in half the time! It can be used in soups, stews, main dishes, casseroles, side dishes, desserts, you name it!

Inspired by this research, my friend from Ecuador said she would share her recipe for quinoa soup! In the meantime, I created a mueslix using quinoa, and it was delicious.

Morning Mueslix with Quinoa

1 cup oats, toasted
1 cup quinoa, toasted
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup dried apples
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.

Store in an airtight container up to 30 days.

Serve with milk for breakfast!

Yields: 4 servings

And for Karyna's favorite soup:

2 cups quinoa
1/2 pound beef
8 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon annato seed paste
2 tablespoons peanuts, toasted and ground
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

1.  Boil water in a stock pot and place quinoa and meat in the pot.  Cook until tender.

2.  Saute butter, onion, garlic in a saucepan.  Add the ground peanuts and milk.

3.  Add the annato (achiote), salt, pepper and cumin.

4.  Add the onion / garlic / spice mixture to the stock pot with the quinoa and beef.

5.  Add the potatoes.

6.  Simmer until the potatoes are soft.

Yields: 6 servings