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Meet Quinoa: Nutritious and Delicious!

Judy E. Buss

Most likely, you have heard about quinoa, but perhaps never tried cooking it. In this column you’ll get all the help you need, and after you cook quinoa you will fall in love with this delicious food brimming with nutrition. Even though quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), resembles a grain, botanically, it is not a grain. The small, round seed comes from a plant related to Swiss chard, spinach, and beets.

Quinoa is highly nutritious and gluten-free, and is therefore an excellent food source for gluten-intolerant individuals. Because a serving of quinoa offers complete protein (which includes all the amino acids), it is also an outstanding meat replacement for vegetarians and vegans. This wonderful-tasting foodstuff contains numerous health-promoting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

Quinoa originated in South America and was in use as early as several thousand years B.C. and one of the main foods eaten in the ancient Inca Empire. The most common type of quinoa is off-white in appearance, but the red and black varieties are available in some health food stores as well. Keep it in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge.

Prepare quinoa in the same way you would whole grains. Measure one part quinoa to two parts liquid. When cooked, it is fluffy and has a delicate, somewhat nutty flavor. During the cooking process it expands to about three times its original size.

Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer before cooking to remove the naturally-occurring, bitter outer coating. Cooked quinoa is extremely versatile: It tastes great plain, can be consumed hot or cold, as a main or side dish, as breakfast, or added to soups. Mix cooked vegetables with quinoa, or raw ones with a dressing, or fruit and nuts, or with just a little cinnamon, or some olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt.

Enjoy making new deliciousness in your kitchen, and try the recipe below: so easy and quick-to-make, you don’t even need a special app!

QUINOA-MINT SALAD
4 servings

2 cups uncooked quinoa
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
1-1/2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

  1. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer to remove its bitter coating. Drain.
  1. In a medium saucepan place the quinoa and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and cook slowly about 30 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the stove and let cool.
  1. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix all the other ingredients. When the quinoa is done and somewhat cooled, combine it with the parsley mixture in the bowl. Refrigerate in an airtight container for one hour before serving.

“Mission Nutrition” Tips and Recipes from Judy E. Buss, Syndicated Eating-for-Health Columnist

Stay tuned for more Judy E. Buss’ “Mission Nutrition” words of wisdom and recipes.

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