Quinoa Information

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Title: QUINOA INFORMATION
Categories: Info/tips
Yield: 1 servings


Quinoa: Native to the Andes and about the size of
sesame seeds, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) has a more
impressive protein profile than that of wheat and
contains numerous amino acids (lysine, cystine, and
methionine) not normally found in grains. It's also
very quick-cooking, delicious, and easy to digest.

Quinoa must be carefully swooshed in water and rinsed
multiple times until the water runs clear to remove
all the bitter saponin coating (believe to be a
natural insect repellent). Packaged quinoa tends to
be cleaner than quinoa bought in bulk. Rinse the
quinoa just before cooking and drain it thoroughly.
If the grain sits for 5 to 10 minutes in a moistened
condition, the seeds begin to soften and this throws
off the cooking time.

Plain-cooked quinoa has a slightly grassy taste, so I
prefer to cook it in vegetable stock with a few cloves
of garlic or perhaps a generous pinch of dried herbs.
I have experimented with toasting the quinoa before
cooking, but I don't think it's worth the effort: The
grain has a lovely nutty quality and slight crunch
without any extra fussing.

The trick to preparing quinoa is to be stingy on the
water and the cooking time: It can turn to mush in a
flash. Be on guard! Properly cooked, it will be
light, fluffy, and transparent, with a small white
filament (the sprout) dangling visibly. At the end of
cooking time, if there's unabsorbed liquid in the pot
and the quinoa is tender, simply pass it through the
stainer.

Quinoa's mild flavor makes it a very versatile grain.
Substitute it for bulgar for a sensational Tabbouleh,
or dye it scarlet with some raw beets and serve it
warm or at room temperature. It's also a natural
cooked with corn, another native American. For a
special treat, mail-order Ernie New's organic black
quinoa; it's gorgeous to look at, and has a delightful
nutty taste. Warning: Ernie's black quinoa needs lots
of rinsing and a minute or two more of cooking.

BLACK QUINOA source:

: Ernie New
: White Mountain Farm, Inc.
: 8890 Lane 4 North
: Mosca, CO 81146
: 719-378-2436

Source: Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen - by Lorna
J. Sass
: ISBN: 0-688-1051-1
: Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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