8 Amazing Things You Can Do With Quinoa

Quinoa, once sacred to the Incas, has been a staple of the Andean diet for centuries and is now one of the world’s rising ‘superfood’ superstars. Here, we’ve collected some of the most innovative ways that people enjoy their Quinoa throughout the day:

Quinoa, once sacred to the Incas, has been a staple of the Andean diet for centuries and is now one of the world’s rising ‘superfood’ superstars. It’s not actually a grain, but a highly nutritious seed from the spinach family that is considered a complete protein because it contains all 8 essential amino acids, in addition to iron, calcium, and vitamins E and B.

There is white, red, and black Quinoa, all of which can be treated in the same way.

Here, we’ve collected some of the most innovative ways that people enjoy their Quinoa throughout the day:

Breakfast: As a Beverage, like Oatmeal, or as Semi-Sprouted as a Cereal Topping

It’s common for Peruvians to drink or eat a sweet quinoa concoctions for breakfast. It’s simple boiled in water with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and a diced fruit such as an apple, peach, or pair. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, when you notice a white ring around each seed, it’s done. At this point you can sweeten it with honey or fruit juice and add in whatever extras you desire. If you intend to treat it as a beverage, keep it loose. If you intend to eat it like oatmeal, use less liquid and add in any extras such as nuts and berries as a final step.

You can use semi-sprouted Quinoa by sprinkling some over cereal.

Lunch: In Salads, Sprouted for Salads, and in Soups and Chowders

If you fully sprout Quinoa, you’ll have crunchy leaves that you can enjoy raw in salads- the Quinoa flavor will still be there, as will a great amount of nutrition. Or, once the seeds have been cooked and cooled, they’re ready to simply mix in with a simple chopped salad of tomato, cucumber, lemon, olives and feta. Tabbouleh made with Quinoa is also gaining in popularity- even we at Pirwa Restaurant in Cusco can't resist this fusion dish.

Soups, and even better- chowders, can be easily thickened with Quinoa in any recipe where you might normally use barley.

Dinner: Pilaf

You can prepare Quinoa in the same way as rice, with salt and perhaps some garlic and onion for extra flavor. By adding even more flavorants, you can create more healthful pilafs, such as mushrooms, bacon, pistachios.

Dessert: You can add either cooked Quinoa or Quinoa flour to cookies and muffins for greater nutrition or in order to adhere to a gluten-free diet.

Fecha de Publicación: 07/08/2014